Melanie’s Pickled Pork Scnitzel, Mash Potato and Green Beans

I watched an interesting segment on The Kitchen (Food Network Channel) the other day which dealt with what does one do with the left over juices from the pickles (gherkins), pepperdews, jalapenos etc.,  One of the uses was a brine for the most juiciest Pork Chop. Jeff Mauro made a Pickled Pork Schnitzel, which I then made tonight. It was superb. An instant hit with the family who said they could eat it every day. I served with Garlic Mashed Potato with Green Beans and Italian flavored Baked Beans. Sunny uses the juice from the leftover jalapenos in mashed potato. I didn’t.

Pickled Pork Schnitzel
Ingredients:
4 pork chops, on the bone
1 cup of juice from pickles and pepperdew
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups flour
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Oil for shallow frying
Method
Pound pork chops between Ziploc bag.
Add juice from leftover pickle and pepperdew jars and leave to brine in the refrigerator overnight.
Pat dry and season pork chops with salt and pepper.
Season flour (with the seasoning of choice). Beat eggs lightly.
Season Panko breadcrumbs.
Dip chops into flour, then egg then coat in Panko.
Rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Fry in shallow oil on medium heat, 5 minutes a side.
Recipe Credit – The Kitchen (Food Network Channel)

Garlic Mash Potato with Green beans
Ingredients
4 potatoes, peeled, and quartered
1 tsp chicken or vegetable stock powder
1 head of garlic,
Kosher salt, ground black pepper
1 tblsp olive oil
3 tblsp butter
1 tblsp white onion soup powder
½ tsp baking powder
Milk/cream
2 tblsp cream cheese (optional)
1 ½ cups green beans, blanched in boiling salted water till tender.
Drain in colander.
Method:
Slice top off the head of garlic.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Wrap in a double layer of foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180C degrees for 40 minutes.
When done squeeze out of their skins and mash with a fork.
In the meantime bring potatoes to a boil with stock powder till tender. Drain.
Keep in the same warm pot and mash while still hot.
Add onion powder, baking powder cream cheese and butter and mash.
Add garlic, salt and pepper.
Add enough milk until you get desired consistency.
I use an electric hand mixer (NOT hand blender please) to get a smooth texture.
Slice the green beans into 1cm pieces and stir into mashed potato.

Italian Flavored Baked Beans with Tomato
Ingredients:
½ red onion, diced
1 red chili, chopped (more if you want)
¼ tsp chili flakes
2 tblsp olive oil
2 cans koo baked beans
1 can Italian sliced tomatoes with oregano and basil
Pinch of sugar
1 tsp vinegar
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Parsley and parmesan cheese to garnish

Method
Heat olive oil in a saucepan.
Add onion and fry 1 minute.
Add red chili and chili flakes and fry for a few seconds.
Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, vinegar salt and pepper.
Turn heat down and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add baked beans and mix through.
Cook another 5 minutes.
Add some boiling water if too thick.
Garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese.

Prepared, tried and tested by: Melanie Kramar