INTRO:
This week in lab we will be making pork escalope with apples, lyonnaise potatoes,& green beans. I'm not the biggest fan of Pork, but I am extremely excited to now have a recipe that I will be able to try and maybe change my thoughts about this meat! Im hoping the apples will give it more of a sweet effect! I have also never heard of lyonnaise potatoes, but after reviewing the recipe they seem like something I may be interested in. Green Beans on the other hand.. I have never lved eating one. As bad as it sounds, I am a pretty picky eater and when it comes to green beans, those are just something I will never be able to like! (But who knows, maybe my mind will change one day!)
RESEARCH:
This week, we'll be learning mostly about sautéing! We will also be boiling our greens for this dish, but merely focusing on sautéing. This is something I am actually rather comfortable with. Although I have never sautéed apples in a dish, I have however done onions. I will normally do a sweet onion sautéed as a topping to my steaks. According to the Spruce Eats, "the word sauté (pronounced "saw-TAY") refers to a form of dry-heat cooking that uses a hot pan and a small amount of fat to cook food quickly. When sautéeing, it's important to get the pan very hot, then add the fat (butter or oil) and let it get hot as well, before adding the food to the pan. This hot fat helps coat the food so that the surface will brown evenly." As mentioned in one of our homework video assignments, it is also important not to overcrowding the pan. For our green beans, we will be boiling them, which I feel is a common method for cooking green beans. As mentioned before though, Im not really a fan of them.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
According to Natasha's Kitchen webiste, Pork Escalope is an original German dish. The pork itself is part of the tenderloin, and comes from the loin of the larger pig (which is designed for bacon). The term escalope simply means it is a small pic of filet, or it can be reffered to as the eye of the loin that has been bashed flat between sheets of cling film. I am not very educated with the section of pork, simply because I do not enjoy eating from a pig, but it is alwys good to know for the future if need be. I am ecited to learn about the techniques used in creating these dishes.
PORK ESCALOPE WITH APPLES
serving size: 2 (7 oz each)
Ingredients
3 oz. Pork Scallops
Flour as needed for dredging
1 fl oz. Clarified Butter
3 oz. Peeled/Sliced Apples
2 fl. oz. Veal Stock
2 fl. oz. Apple Juice
3 fl. oz. Heavy Cream
TT Nutmeg, freshly ground
TT Salt & Pepper
Directions:
Dredge the pork scallops in flour and shake off the excess.
Heat the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork scallops to the pan without overcrowding.
Lightly brown the pork scallops on one side. Turn and brown on the other side. Remove the pork scallops from the pan and keep warm.
Add the apple and sauté until tender without browning.
Add the stock and juice and reduce au sec.
Add the cream and nutmeg. Reduce until the sauce reaches nappe consistency. Adjust the seasonings.
Return the Portland scallops to the pan along with any accumulated juices.Warm the pork scallops in the sauce for a few seconds.
LYONNAISE POTATOES
serving size: 8 (4 oz. each)
Ingredients:
2 lb. Potatoes, waxy
8 oz. Onions, sliced thin
4 fl. oz. Clarified Butter
TT Salt & Pepper
Directions:
Partially cook the potatoes by baking, boiling or steaming until they are barely tender to the touch. Drain off any water and allow the potatoes to cool.
Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/4 in which slices.
Sauté the onions in half of the butter until tender but not brown. Remove the onions from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the remaining butter to the pan. Add the potatoes and sauté, tossing as needed, until well browned on all sides.
Return the onions to the pan and sauté to combine the flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
GREEN BEANS
serving size: 6 (4 oz. each)
Ingredients:
1 lb. Green beans, trimmed
6 fl. oz. Herb Vinaigrette
1 oz. Shallots, minced
TT Salt & Pepper
4 oz. Hazelnuts, toasted & chopped
Directions:
Boil the green beans in salted water until tender, approximately 8 minutes.
Drain and refresh the green beans in an ice and water bath.
Remove the green beans from the water bath and drain thoroughly.
Whisk together the Herb Vinaigrette and the shallots in a large bowl. Add the green beans and toss to blend flavors. Adjust the seasonings ad serve garnished with the hazelnuts.
PLAN OF WORK:
COOKING OUTCOMES:
As pictured below, you can tell the outcome of the pork escalope with apples, lyonnaise potatoes, & green beans was perfect. The pork scallops were beautifully sautéed in the stock and juice, and though I am not a fan of green beans, from what I was shown, these defiintley do not look like they came from a can. From my peers I was told that the potatoes had a great flavor due to the flavor of the sauteed onions. The only unsure comment I was told was that the apples made the taste a little odd. I am sure however that those who arent as fond of fruity flavors with such a strong meat flavor did not know what to expect.
RESULTS:
According to those in the class, the lab was very beneficial for its teaching of sautéing. Since we were only on the zoom for a short period of time, we did not get to see much besides the plan of work and Mis En Place and then the final outcome. The Pork Scallops were dredged in flour and then put into a an on medium to high heat until browned, and as you can see from the final photo above, they browned delightfully. The techniques that were taught from sautéing to basic cutting again helped those in lab gain skill for their culinary journey.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, and as mentioned before, the lab was a success. I was disheartened by the fact I was unable to go to lab this past Wednesday, but I was still able to learn through the research that I conducted beforehand. The tastes that were told made it seem like the scallops tasted delicious despite the fact it was paired with apples. I honestly feel as if I would have enjoyed the dish itself, but I plan on making the dish in the near future for my roommates and family. I am looking forward to our next lab which we will be dealing with Black Sea Bass!
WORKS CITED:
Kravchuk, N. (2016, February 20).Pork Schnitzel Recipe. Natasha’s Kitchen. https://natashaskitchen.com/pork-schnitzel-recipe/
Kingsley, K. (2020, September 17).Learn How to Sauté. The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/sauteing-101-101476
Labensky, S. R., Hause, A. M., & Martel, P. (2019). On cooking: a textbook of culinary fundamentals. Pearson.
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