A Tale of Two Tapas and a Confit

A popular cut of pork in Spain is Escalopines de Lomo Cerdo, which translates to scallop of pork fillet. These thin sliced (¼ inch/7 mm) pork fillets are very versatile and tasty. This cut of meat is a little on the expensive side (€5.90 per kg/$3.84 per lb.), but with a 0.73 kg (1.6 lbs.) package we had three meals. Two of the meals were tapas, which served as the main course with other sides, and the third is a pork confit that will ripen in the refrigerator for the next two months.

Lomo del Cerdo Rellenas con Queso y Pimiento Rojo - Pork Fillet Stuffed with Cheese & Red Pepper

This tapas is a top and bottom layer of pork stuffed with cheese and strips of red pepper. It is then rolled, breaded and fried. For the cheese I used Tetilla. This is a soft white cheese from Galicia, which is the NW corner of Spain bordering the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay.

Tetilla cheese from Galicia

Ingredients

• Pork Fillet Scallops (four per serving)
• Tetilla Cheese
• Pimiento Rojo/Red Bell Pepper (roasted, seeded, & peeled)
• Flour
• Egg (slightly beaten)
• Bread Crumbs
• Olive Oil

Fillets work-in-progress: finished and ready to bread (lower left), fillets with filling (upper left & lower right), out-of-the-package fillets (upper right)

How To Put It Together

1. Lay out two fillets.
2. On one fillet pile on the cheese and pepper.
3. Lay another fillet on top.
4. Pound the edges to join the two fillets and seal.
5. Dredge the stuffed fillets in flour (shake off excess).
6. Dunk the floured fillets in the beaten egg and coat evenly.
7. Coat the fillets with bread crumbs.
8. Rest the stuffed fillets for 20 minutes.
9. Fry the fillets on medium high heat in olive oil for 2-3 minutes per side.
10. Serve hot.

Crispy on the outside with hot gooey cheese and pepper in the middle

Flamenquin - Thin Pork Roll with Jamón Serrano
(cookbook: The Cuisine of Spain)

This is a very simple and tasty tapas from Andalusia in the south of Spain on the Atlantic. Anything with Serrano ham is by definition tasty. Jamón Serrano is a dry cured ham made from white pigs. I will have a future post devoted to the culture of jamón that is Spain.

Jamón Serrano

Ingredients

• Pork Fillet Scallops (two per serving)
• Jamón Serrano sliced paper thin
• Flour
• Egg (slightly beaten)
• Bread Crumbs
• Olive Oil

How To Put It Together

1. Place a fillet between a fold of plastic wrap.
2. Pound the fillet to expand the width and length. Make the fillet 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) thick.
3. Put a single layer of Jamón Serrano on top of the pounded fillet.
4. Roll the fillet up and secure with a tooth pick.
5. Dredge the rolled fillets in flour (shake off excess).
6. Dunk the floured fillets in the beaten egg and coat evenly.
7. Coat the fillets with bread crumbs.
8. Rest the rolled fillets for 20 minutes.
9. Fry the fillets on medium high heat in 1 inch (24 mm) olive oil for 2-3 minutes per side.
10. Serve hot.

Crispy pork fillet rolled with dry cured ham

Complete dinner: boiled potatoes, sliced tomato with blue cheese dressing, and Flamenquin

Lomo de Orzo - Fillet of Pork Confit
(cookbook: The Cuisine of Spain)

This is another Andalusian recipe. Before refrigeration this is how cooked pork was preserved for several months. We will be eating the results of this test in two months. I'm very interested to see how this ultimately turns out. We have our Atlantic crossing passage planned for November/December 2010. It would be nice to have some tasty heat and serve meat available. For this test I used the remainder of our pork fillets. For “passage making” preparation I would use whole tenderloin cut into ½ inch (13 mm) slices.

Ingredients

• Pork Fillets
• Lard (equal amounts by weight of pork and lard)
• Garlic (whole and peeled)
• Thyme (fresh whole sprigs)
• Bay Leaves
• Oregano

Fillets with herbs simmering in lard

How To Put It Together

1. Over medium high heat melt some lard and brown the pork slices on both sides. Lightly salt while frying (do in batches if necessary).
2. Reduce to medium heat.
3. Return all the pork to the pan.
4. Add lard until the pork slices are covered in melted lard.
5. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and oregano.
6. Give a good stir.
7. Let simmer in the lard for 15 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
9. Arrange the slices and herbs in a storage container and pour in the lard. The meat must be covered by the lard.
10. Store in the refrigerator for several months

Ready to ripen for two months in the fridge

To use the pork confit I plan on removing the pork from the lard. Heat the slices in a frying pan and serve hot. I will also heat, strain, and save the lard for reuse.