After a life in the food industry, Jessica Battilana thought it was time to hand over her tried and true recipes with a cook book called “Repertoire”. She has worked as the reservations person at Chez Panisse, in Sunset magazines test kitchen, writing restaurant reviews in San Francisco, and lots of cook book collaborations where her role was to be the voice of the home chef.
Veal Saltimbocca is a classic Roman dish which translates to “jump in the mouth”. This pork version is less expensive and just as delicious I think..how can you go wrong with “pork on pork”? You can pound and prepare the pork up to a day ahead, and then a quick pan fry and dinner’s ready. Jessica likes to buy a pork loin and slice it herself into thin slices, but for just the two of us I bought thin pork loin boneless chops. The combination of sage and prosciutto is wonderful; and the Marsala wine adds aroma and flavor. Tender pork with a crispy prosciutto crust…and so easy to make!
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 slices prosciutto di Parma
12 slices whole sage leaves
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup Marsala or dry white wine
Put the pork on a plate and transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove, transfer to a cutting board, and with a sharp knife, cut into 12 thin slices. Arrange half of the slices in a single layer on a cutting board and cover with a single layer of plastic wrap. With the flat side of a meat mallet(or with a rolling pin)pound each piece of pork to a thickness of a 1/4 inch. Season each piece on both sides with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate; repeat with the remaining slices of pork..
Lay a slice of prosciutto lengthwise on your work surface and put one slice of pounded pork in the center. Wrap the prosciutto around the pork like a belt and top with a sage leaf.Use a toothpick to secure the sage and prosciutto to the pork. Repeat with the remaining pork, prosciutto and sage.
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter stops foaming, add as many slices of pork to the pan, sage side down, as will comfortably fit in a single layer. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter, remove the toothpicks from each piece, and keep warm while you fry the remaining pork.
When the last batch of pork has been cooked, pour the Marsala into the now-empty pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Let boil until reduced by half, then pour over the pork. Remove the toothpicks and serve immediately. Serves 4-6
Note: My sage leaves were small, so used two per chop. Could have used three!
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