Pork Entrecote
Strictly speaking, entrecote is beef, cut from a carcass at a specific place between the ribs and the spine. But you often see entrecote made from pork, lamb or game, and the menu usually says so, to make it clear that the dish is not beef. It is worth noting that well-fried bone-in pork, whether rib or shoulder, makes a very tasty dish.
The name comes from the French entre côte, meaning “between the ribs”, with no reference to a type of meat. It applies equally to beef, pork and lamb, so pork entrecote is perfectly fine. It is easy to buy a piece of pork with a rib bone, as it is an affordable cut.
Bone-in pork steaks are usually sold at 250-300 grams if they are not cut very thick. Such a steak is a little bigger than your palm and is perfect for frying. The dish is quite simple: a few spices, then frying until done. No batter, no breading, just natural fried meat.
Pork for frying needs no special preparation. Trim off the sinews, membranes and large pieces of fat. If you can, separate part of the bone from the meat so that it sticks out, though this is not essential. You don’t need to pound the meat, it cooks well as is. You can grill it if you have the chance, but at home it is better to use a frying pan.
The ideal cuts are pieces of pork taken from the loin or shoulder together with part of a rib or, if need be, part of the shoulder blade. The pieces are usually about the size of a palm, 3-4 cm thick.
When choosing the meat, keep in mind that it should be neither “fresh-killed” nor frozen, as it stays juicier that way. Pork from the loin or shoulder usually has a layer of fat along the edges. Whether to trim it or leave it is a matter of taste. Pork is fatty enough already and there is no need to add calories, although the fat layer makes the dish juicier.
Ingredients
2 servings
- Bone-in pork steak, shoulder or loin chop (250-300 g) 2
- Butter 1 tbsp
- Olive oil optional, mixed with the butter
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- For serving
- Herbs, lettuce, fresh vegetables, tomato sauce for serving
- Black peppercorns 2
Step-by-step recipe
Preparing the meat
If the pieces of meat are large enough, one steak or natural bone-in cutlet is enough for a serving. A pig carcass is much smaller than a steer’s, so a huge, lavish piece of pork is the stuff of fantasy. As a rule, pork entrecote is small. Still, if you like, you can cut out a rib near the shoulder and leave a large piece of meat on it.
Trim the meat of sinews, membranes and large pieces of fat.
If you can, separate part of the bone from the meat with a knife and clean it of membranes.
Season the pieces with salt and pepper. There is no need to pound them: pork fries quickly and reliably, no matter which part of the carcass the meat comes from.
Leave for 10 minutes so the salt dissolves.
Frying
Melt a piece of real butter in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over high heat. If you want, you can cook in a mix of olive oil and butter, but the butter has to be there: it gives pork its delicate aroma and tender taste.
When the butter is hot, reduce the heat to medium and put the meat in the butter.
Fry for 3-4 minutes, then turn the pieces over.
Keep frying, turning often so both sides brown evenly, about 15 minutes in total. The surface of the meat will brown, and it may start to curl. Fry only in an uncovered pan, without a lid.
The meat is done when you cut it near the bone and pink juices no longer come out.
Serving
To my taste, this dish needs no side.
Put the entrecote on a plate and add a lettuce leaf, a little parsley and some sliced fresh tomato. That is enough.
I recommend adding tomato sauce or homemade ketchup mixed with hot pepper adjika. A slice of fresh bread and a glass of wine won’t hurt either.
Just before serving, sprinkle the entrecote with a couple of crushed black peppercorns: fried pork entrecote tastes even better this way.
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