Post by damnoldhippie on Aug 12, 2007 14:09:25 GMT -5
OK, I was born on the muggy coast of South Texas, brought up on cow...so when my mom would make what she called "veal cutlets" she was making what we generally nowadays call "Chicken-Fried Steak"...basically a tenderized "cube steak" that is breaded and fried. Generally served with a cream gravy, sometimes seen in a sandwich. Char was born in Iowa, and grew up with all things pig. She's been after me to attempt to make her what she always knew as a "Pork Tenderloin Sandwich"...something that for her was a treat as a kid, evidently served "up there" all the time...which, after figuring out what she was talking about, is basically a Chicken-Fried Steak using a pork tenderloin that's been pounded out or tenderized.
We found some nice pork cutlets at Central Market that had been put through the tenderizer, so that they looked like pale pink cube-steaks. Figured that was as close to a pounded tenderloin as I was gonna get, so we snagged 'em.
Now I tend to do things in the kitchen the way my Momma did, mainly because she knew what she was doin' most of the time. And in this sort of thing she did it "half-right," in that she did all the preparation perfectly, but the final cooking was always a tad off. Ma never liked to "deep fry" these, she'd always put just a wimpy bit of oil in the pan, and ended up having to flip them, and the breading nearly always ended up a bit soggy...no great crime if you're gonna douse 'em in gravy, but for a sammy, not what you're wantin'. These have GOT to be deep-fried in order for that incredible "crispy-on-the-outside-juicy-on-the-inside" texture on the finished product.
So, with that said, here's what ya do:
Get a can of either PET or Carnation Evaporated Milk. Pour it into a bowl or plastic container that's about as big around as your cutlets. Add a pinch or two of salt and a good dose of coarse-ground black pepper, stir it in. Place your cutlets down in the milk...they should both be totally submerged! Flip them over a couple of times to make sure that they are saturated with the milk. Cover and put in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to let 'em soak.
When it's time to cook, get your fry rig together and get your oil up to 350-360 degrees and hold it steady. I use my Cast Iron "chicken fryer" (basically a skillet that's about two inches deeper than normal) for this, and have one of those new-fangled electronic thermometers with the probe (couldn't help it...saw it on Alton!) to keep a constant watch on the temp. You want to have no less than two inches of oil in your frying rig, three inches is even better. Use corn oil...flavor-wise it's the best. Can't stress enough the fact that successful, non-greasy fried food depends on keeping that oil in the hot zone through the whole process, and that means adjusting your flame under the fry pan while you're cooking: when you put that food in, just watch that temp drop on your thermometer. Time to jack the flame up a touch.
Get your cutlets out of the fridge. Get a paper plate and scoop a couple of cups of unbleached flour out onto it, add a generous pinch of salt, and coarse-ground pepper, and stir it around with your fingers to distribute.
Take the first of the cutlets out of the milk, and immediately slap it into the bed of flour. Take some flour from around the edge and pile on top until the cutlet is covered. Press with your hand, flip it over, and then give it another quick dunk BACK into the milk, and then back to the flour. Don't hold onto it too tight or you'll rub off the coating. Pile the flour on top again, and then very carefully pick up with two fingers and shake gently to get rid of the excess flour. Drop it carefully into your frying rig. It will sink to the bottom and stay until it begins to cook. Don't poke at it or mess with it for the duration of the frying! Leave it alone! Cook them one at a time to get the best results...the secret is in keeping your oil as hot as possible without burning it. After a few minutes, maybe no more than five or six, the cutlet should be floating and sizzling. Grab it with some tongs and check it for color. When it is a deep golden brown, the crust fried-chicken-crispy, take it out and drain it on a rack. You don't want to let it go too long, or you'll dry out the meat.
Allow it to cool for a few minutes, and then slap it onto the hamburger bun of your choice, along with whatever condiments you normally like. Mayo, coarse-ground brown mustard and I'm there. Of course, the meat's gonna stick out past the bun, Char said that was always part of the fun of eating them when she was a kid.
I must've done somethin' right, 'cause she said it was the best Pork Tenderloin Sandwich she'd ever had ;D
Of course, I'd normally be servin' that sucker up with cream gravy, mashed taters and some string beans seasoned with bacon...but hey...it's always good to try "foreign food"
We found some nice pork cutlets at Central Market that had been put through the tenderizer, so that they looked like pale pink cube-steaks. Figured that was as close to a pounded tenderloin as I was gonna get, so we snagged 'em.
Now I tend to do things in the kitchen the way my Momma did, mainly because she knew what she was doin' most of the time. And in this sort of thing she did it "half-right," in that she did all the preparation perfectly, but the final cooking was always a tad off. Ma never liked to "deep fry" these, she'd always put just a wimpy bit of oil in the pan, and ended up having to flip them, and the breading nearly always ended up a bit soggy...no great crime if you're gonna douse 'em in gravy, but for a sammy, not what you're wantin'. These have GOT to be deep-fried in order for that incredible "crispy-on-the-outside-juicy-on-the-inside" texture on the finished product.
So, with that said, here's what ya do:
Get a can of either PET or Carnation Evaporated Milk. Pour it into a bowl or plastic container that's about as big around as your cutlets. Add a pinch or two of salt and a good dose of coarse-ground black pepper, stir it in. Place your cutlets down in the milk...they should both be totally submerged! Flip them over a couple of times to make sure that they are saturated with the milk. Cover and put in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to let 'em soak.
When it's time to cook, get your fry rig together and get your oil up to 350-360 degrees and hold it steady. I use my Cast Iron "chicken fryer" (basically a skillet that's about two inches deeper than normal) for this, and have one of those new-fangled electronic thermometers with the probe (couldn't help it...saw it on Alton!) to keep a constant watch on the temp. You want to have no less than two inches of oil in your frying rig, three inches is even better. Use corn oil...flavor-wise it's the best. Can't stress enough the fact that successful, non-greasy fried food depends on keeping that oil in the hot zone through the whole process, and that means adjusting your flame under the fry pan while you're cooking: when you put that food in, just watch that temp drop on your thermometer. Time to jack the flame up a touch.
Get your cutlets out of the fridge. Get a paper plate and scoop a couple of cups of unbleached flour out onto it, add a generous pinch of salt, and coarse-ground pepper, and stir it around with your fingers to distribute.
Take the first of the cutlets out of the milk, and immediately slap it into the bed of flour. Take some flour from around the edge and pile on top until the cutlet is covered. Press with your hand, flip it over, and then give it another quick dunk BACK into the milk, and then back to the flour. Don't hold onto it too tight or you'll rub off the coating. Pile the flour on top again, and then very carefully pick up with two fingers and shake gently to get rid of the excess flour. Drop it carefully into your frying rig. It will sink to the bottom and stay until it begins to cook. Don't poke at it or mess with it for the duration of the frying! Leave it alone! Cook them one at a time to get the best results...the secret is in keeping your oil as hot as possible without burning it. After a few minutes, maybe no more than five or six, the cutlet should be floating and sizzling. Grab it with some tongs and check it for color. When it is a deep golden brown, the crust fried-chicken-crispy, take it out and drain it on a rack. You don't want to let it go too long, or you'll dry out the meat.
Allow it to cool for a few minutes, and then slap it onto the hamburger bun of your choice, along with whatever condiments you normally like. Mayo, coarse-ground brown mustard and I'm there. Of course, the meat's gonna stick out past the bun, Char said that was always part of the fun of eating them when she was a kid.
I must've done somethin' right, 'cause she said it was the best Pork Tenderloin Sandwich she'd ever had ;D
Of course, I'd normally be servin' that sucker up with cream gravy, mashed taters and some string beans seasoned with bacon...but hey...it's always good to try "foreign food"