Natural pork cutlets with mushroom filling

Ingredients:

Brine

• 4 double bone-in natural pork chops (1.3 - 1.8 kg total)
• 5 tbsp of water
• 1/4 cup coarse salt
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 1 tbsp granulated garlic

Filling

• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 0.5 cup diced pancetta
• 6 cups cremini mushrooms, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves
• 0.5 cup grated fontina cheese

Breading

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 0.5 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1/4 cup rendered bacon fat

Sauce

• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley for serving

Preparation:

1. Brine:
   
   Rinse and dry the pork chops. Cut a pocket in the side of each chop, 8-10 cm long and deep enough to reach the bone. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a zip-lock bag, seal, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
2. Filling:
   
   In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and foamed, add the pancetta and cook until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, discarding the fat in the pan. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes. Add the shallots, sage, and half of the fried pancetta and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool, spreading it out evenly. Once the filling has cooled, stir in the fontina cheese. Set the remaining pancetta aside for serving.
3. Remove the patties from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Fill them with the cooled filling and secure the openings with toothpicks. Set aside the remaining filling for the sauce.
4. Preheat oven to 175°C.
5. Breading:
   
   In a shallow saucepan or bowl, add Italian seasoning, pepper, panko breadcrumbs and flour. Mix well. Place the eggs in another shallow bowl and beat.
   
   Dip the cutlets in the egg, then roll them in the breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to adhere the crumbs. Repeat with all the cutlets.
6. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and bacon drippings. When the fat begins to shimmer, add the pork chops and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Carefully hold each chop with tongs and brown the sides. Place the chops on a rack set on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 135°F (57°C) on a meat thermometer, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and tent the pork loosely with foil.
7. Sauce:
   
   In the same pan you fried the cutlets in, add the shallots and the remaining mushroom filling and fry over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the mustard and yogurt until smooth, then add the lemon juice and season with salt.
8. Remove the cutlets from the baking sheet, remove the toothpicks, and transfer the pork to a serving platter. Drizzle with the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and the remaining pancetta and serve immediately.
   
   
   Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with this dish.