35: Pork "Milanese" / Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Mushrooms / Parsnip Mash

This dinner is a treat. Pork, the other white meat, exhibits an incredibly subtle sweetness and mild flavor that is close to chicken with a texture more similar to beef. Pork is just as versatile as chicken or beef, and it picks up the flavor of the seasonings quite well, especially in this “Milanese” style dish. Milanese as a cooking method is simply seasoned breading, and it is often mistaken for a dialect of Italian. Milanese is a romance language much like Italian, and the two are not as compatible as you think. However, people who speak one or the other do speak both languages. I'm recalled all that from memory, so feel free to correct if need be. Anyways, enough linguistic history for now. I like the cooking method because of the texture it provides here, and Italians will tell you they grew up eating the chicken version of this dish.

The pork is served along with the slightly peppery and sweet parsnip, a real seasonal treat, and the meal is rounded out with nutty brussels sprouts cooked with bacon and chopped woody cremini mushrooms. I make my breading from scratch, but you could also buy seasoned bread crumbs to save time on prep.  I bought boneless pork ribs, so I could manipulate what the pork cutlets would look like on the plate. You could do this with a pork chop as well, but I prefer the pork rib because there is a tiny bit of on them. A nice pinot noir would go well with this dinner.

Ingredients and Directions:

3/4 lb boneless pork ribs, sliced into cutlets

1 tbs each of finely chopped mint, basil, and parsley (omit if using seasoned bread crumbs)

1/2 – 3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1 lb parsnips, peeled and chopped in near equal sized pieces

8 brussels sprouts, halved

2 pieces of bacon

1/4 cup cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped

2 sprigs thyme

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Start your prep with the parsnips, so you can boil them in a covered pot with salted water for 15-20 minutes. You can also fry the bacon during this time, about 5-7 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. Parsnips should be easily pierced with a fork when ready, and wrap crispy bacon in paper towels when ready. Crumble bacon when cooled off. Drain water from parsnips, reserving about an eighth of a cup of the water. Add parsnips to a food processor with reserved liquid, thyme, salt, pepper, and three tablespoons of olive oil. Puree to desired consistency, and transfer it back to pot on stove to keep warm over low heat.

Combine bread crumbs, herbs, salt and pepper to taste on a flat surface. Coat your cutlets in egg wash, and then dredge them through the seasoned bread crumbs and coat them well. Heat 2-3 tbs each of olive oil in two different pans over medium heat. Add pork to one pan, and add the brussels sprouts to the other cut side down. Raise heat on pork to medium-high. Cook pork 4-5 minutes on each side. After you turn the pork, add mushrooms to brussels sprouts. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, and add the crispy bacon bits to the brussels sprouts for 1 minute to warm them up. Arrange on the plate as you wish.

Enjoy!