Recipe: Pork Amaretto

Almost everyone knows Marsala.  Since I rarely use it,  I almost never have it on hand and being the Cucina Povera sort of guy I can be,  I'm not about to stock it for the rare occasional use.  However, I do have Amaretto.

 

With necessity being the mother of invention, and since I had some thin pork cutlets that I didn't want to fry,  I came up with this very easy recipe. 

 

Pork Cutlets Amaretto

 

2 pounds pork cutlets

1 package mushrooms, chopped small

1 medium onion chopped small

1 handful arugula or parsley, coarsely chopped

Calabrian hot chile flakes to taste

3 pats butter

Splash Milk or Cream (I used milk)

1/4 cup Amaretto

 

In a large pan, start by lightly browning the pork cutlets in about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Remove to a platter.  In the same skillet,  add the onions and mushrooms over medium heat and saute until softened, about 10 minutes.  Once they are softened, add the butter, milk and pepper flakes and stir to combine.  

 

Add the Amaretto and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits that have formed.  You should have a nice brown colored pan sauce.



~  Warming the meat prior to plating - not the color of the sauce  ~

Once the sauce comes together,  return the pork to the pan and toss a few minutes to warm the meat through.  Check for seasoning.  The key to this recipe, and the aspect that makes it so appealing, is balancing the heat from the chile flakes against the mild sweetness of the Amaretto. Adjust seasoning if needed, then add the chopped arugula and serve immediately. 

 

~ The Chef's Plate - Pork Amaretto & sauteed broccolini ~ 


Salute!