Breaded pork roulades

With Ninka, it’s a bit of a lottery. Whenever I pick her up from school, she already knows the routine. The third question is always the same: „How was the food at school today?” She’s so wonderful that she’s got used to the question and is incredibly honest in her answer. No pretending. Which makes me happy and shows that she isn’t a poor eater, just exceptionally picky.

Lately, as I think I’ve already mentioned, pizza is her favourite (certainly at my place: „Daddy, I like pizza best… your pizza,” and I swell with pride :). But yesterday I’d happened to buy pork loin.

Meanwhile, it turned out that lunch at school had been very decent. Asked about the school food, Ninka replied, „Wonderful!” That happens exceptionally rarely, only with this combination: clear meat broth, cucumber and sour cream salad, breaded chicken breast.

„Wonderful” meant that only the potatoes had been skipped — with other lunches, they’re something of a life jacket. But that lunch meant there would be quite a problem with a pork schnitzel at home. All the more of a problem because I was somehow unusually hungry and happened to fancy pork loin that day.

Luckily, though I’m not really even sure how, Ninka was persuaded. And while she didn’t eat a whole pork schnitzel, she did eat half. As for me, I was having one of those days when I decided to make myself something a little different. And that’s how this rather odd breaded pork roulade came about. Odd because these are normally the sort of ingredients you put inside a classic Silesian beef roulade. But that one isn’t breaded. It turned out respectably tasty. So I can happily recommend it. Of course, you can choose a classic pork schnitzel.

I’m sure you’re not asking yourselves this question, but I am, so I’ll answer it. I don’t know why I keep pestering Ninka with that question when I could check the menu (I think it’s even on the school’s website). Or perhaps I do…

At a glance:

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Serves: as many as you like (just make that many; the recipe gives ingredients for one roulade)

How many calories: don’t ask

Ingredients for pork roulades with mild cheese, ham and pickled cucumber:

• one 2 cm thick slice of pork loin (boneless)
• half a small shallot
• 1 slice of Italian ham (just as mild as the cheese)
• 1 slice of cheese (I used a very good, mild Valbone Delice, a soft sliced cheese)
• half a vinegar-pickled cucumber
• 1 hen’s egg
• breadcrumbs
• ground black pepper
• freshly ground mixed peppercorns
• salt
• olive oil (you can use lard or clarified butter if you like; I usually choose olive oil)

Recipe for pork schnitzel with a difference:

As usual with me, this will be exceptionally easy. I started where you start with a classic pork schnitzel: by pounding the meat well. The pork loin should at least double in surface area. Then I seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper.

I beat the egg in a small bowl. I put a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs into a plastic container.

I cut the pickled cucumber into strips and the shallot into thin rounds.

I laid the pounded pork on a chopping board and topped it with a slice of cheese (it fitted the cutlet perfectly; it needs to be about 1 cm smaller on each side), then a slice of Italian ham, and on that 3 pieces of vinegar-pickled cucumber, spaced 2 – 3 cm apart. Finally, I added the shallot.

I rolled the cutlet into a roulade so that nothing stuck out. I squeezed it firmly together and transferred it to the bowl with the egg. I gently coated it in egg, then moved it to the bowl with the breadcrumbs. I coated it thoroughly on every side.

I heated olive oil in a frying pan (I know that’s almost a crime with pork loin, but I simply dislike the stink of lard and am not keen on clarified butter) and fried the roulade for about 10 minutes. I turned it from time to time so it wouldn’t burn but would turn golden all over (my „heat” was at 5 on a scale of 1 – 10). After frying, I drained it thoroughly on a paper towel as well.

I served it as a typical dinner, as you can see in the dreadful photos. With a vinegar-pickled cucumber (I didn’t really have anything else, and didn’t fancy the cucumber and sour cream salad that Ninka was eating) and some very good French new potatoes drizzled with melted butter. Enjoy!