Try this tasty, healthy, and super-quick midweek dish
You can’t go wrong cooking up juicy pork escalopes with greens for a midweek meal.
- SERVES: 4
- PREP TIME: 5 mins
- COOK TIME: 25 mins
- DIFFICULTY: easy
- IDEAL FOR: family, midweek meal, healthy
Quality pork
I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m a big fan of quality produce.
And am happy to pay more knowing that where my meat has come from is high welfare.
It’s also no shock that our household is making efforts to eat less meat.
And this is what I feel balances out the higher price of high-welfare, quality meat.
Of course, not everyone can afford higher-quality produce.
But I would argue that if we all put effort into eating less meat, then we can afford local, sustainably farmed minced beef for the next lasagne or bolognese.
Mass-production of meat has replaced good husbandry.
And this in turn impacted the quality of a lot of the meat sold.
Pork production increased by taking shortcuts to produce more cheaply but at the expense of the animals’ welfare.
And at the expense of flavour and texture.
Happy pigs
Buying pork from animals that have been allowed to mature slowly in happy surroundings (not intensive, indoor surroundings).
On natural or organic feed.
And those who are slaughtered close to home in abattoirs with high welfare standards (which also reduces stress).
Makes for all-around better meat.
I know this because we raised a pig for pork.
They had lovely outdoor living.
And we took them to a local abattoir.
Although this may sound untrue, the pigs genuinely came out of the trailer happy and relaxed.
And the men who worked in the abattoir were very caring.
I honestly felt they were completely unaware of their impending end.
So, when you buy pork (or other meat products), always buy free-range or organic whenever possible.
Look for higher-welfare certifications, such as RSPCA Approved or Certified Humane as a minimum.
Because it’s nice knowing that the animal has led a happy and healthy life, and been reared outdoors in small numbers.
Not trapped in an intensive, indoor, stressful environment with horrible food and the only goal to fatten them up fast to get them into the shops.
Know your cuts: what is an escalope
Fillet
The fillet or tenderloin is a long thin muscle, found on the inside of the ribcage and is a part of the loin cut.
And this is where you get your escalope.
A pork escalope is a small piece of fillet.
Or can be the eye of the loin that has been bashed flat between sheets of cling film.
Pork fillet is the leanest of all cuts, so is a healthy choice.
And perfect for a quick midweek meal.
You can marinade or tenderise (bash it) the fillet.
Then cook it quickly at a high temperature.
If you cook it for too long you will dry the meat out.
What can you do with an escalope?
Once you’ve pounded this lean meat, make it flatter, more tender, and larger.
You are open to various recipes.
The most commonly known is coating it with breadcrumbs and frying it.
Or top it with a filling and roll it into a roulade.
In this case, I went for Jamie Oliver’s juicy pork escalope with greens.
It’s SO simple but really hits the spot when you’re having busy days but want a healthy, tasty meal.
References:
Recipe by Jamie Oliver
Juicy pork escalopes with greens
Ingredients
- 4 x 100 g higher-welfare pork escalopes
Marinade
- 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- olive oil
Veggie dressing
- 1/2 bunch of fresh mint
- extra virgin oil
- 1/2 fresh red chilli
- 50 g pecorino cheese
- 400 g new potatoes
- 320 g frozen peas
- 320 g broad beans
- 300 g spouting broccoli
Instructions
- Place the pork escalopes between 2 large pieces of greaseproof paper or clingfilm, then bash well with a rolling pin until ½cm thick.
- In a pestle and mortar, add the thyme leaves, finely grated lemon zest, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bash well then add a splash of olive oil. Pour the marinade over the pork escalopes and coat them all over.
Veggies
- In a large pan cook, the potatoes with the mint leave stalks. In the last few mins add the peas, broad beans and broccoli.
- While the veg cook; in a large bowl, squeeze the juice from the lemon and add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Finely chop and add the mint leaves and the chilli, and grate in 20g of pecorino. Mix well.
- Drain the vegetables and add all of them to the large bowl with the dressing and mix well. Place on a large serving dish.
- Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat.Once hot, add the pork escalopes and cook for 2 min, or until cooked through, turning halfway. Be careful not to overcook.Transfer to the serving platter.Add any extra mint leaves and a little more grated pecorino cheese.