[Sca-cooks] pork chips was: Okay, it's "Very Stupid Question" time...

[elisabetta at klotz.org]

Just because someone eats regional Southern food, doesn't mean they can't
spell. It's not a typo, but a fried pork patty.

Pork Chips:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/08/pork-chips-you-cant-eat-just-o.html

This Bruce Aidells recipe from his _Complete Book of Pork_ is not really
for chips, but rather patties of ground pork crispy on the outside, juicy
on the inside. They're like potato chips in that it's downright impossible
to eat just one. These "chips" make a great appetizer served with lemon
wedges. Or if you want to kick these chips up a notch, garnish each one
with a caper and put each one in a lettuce cup. I like the capers packed
in salt. Just remember to thoroughly rinse them.

Pork Chips
Ingredients
2 slices coarse-textured white bread (French, Itaian, or country
bread), crusts trimmed and torn into pieces, soaked in 1/4 cup milk
for 15 minutes

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot or green onions (white part only)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon finely chopped capers

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

2 cups fresh bread crumbs of same bread as soaked

olive oil for frying

Procedure
1. Squeeze the bread to remove the excess milk. Set the soaked bread aside.

2. Spread the diced pork on a plate and chill in the freezer for 10
minutes. Put half of the pork and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in the bowl of
a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until the mixture
forms a paste, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the
remaining pork and salt. Return all the ground pork to the processor and
add the soaked bread, cream, shallot, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, capers,
pepper, lemon zest, and basil and pulse until the mixture is just
combined.

3. Moisten your hands with cold water and form the mixture into 16 oval
patties, 2 to 3 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide and 1/2 to 3/4 inch think.
Put the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and coat the patties well with the
crumbs, then set aside on a plate.

4. Heat olive oil to a depth of 1/8 to 1/4 inch in a large skillet or
saute pan over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the
patties (in batches if necessary) and cook until golden brown, about 3 to
4 minutes. Turn and cook until brown on the other side, about 3 minutes.
Cut into a patty to make sure it signs no sign of pink in the center.
Transfer the patties to paper towels to drain. Serve hot with the
suggested garnishes.

-Elisbaetta