Highlights of the Fall Into Autumn winning Pork Recipes- reported by the National Pork Board

Fall into Autumn with WINNING Pork Recipes - Reported to us by Contest Promoters

Earlier this year, the National Pork Board put journalists to the test with a media-only contest, Taste the Trend: Pork Recipe Challenge. They asked them to trade their pens and papers for a digital thermometer and cooking utensils to showcase their own culinary skills for the chance to win big – a trip to the 2009 Greenbrier Symposium for Professional Food Writers! After years of writing about delicious pork recipes, they wanted to see what they had up their sleeves…and boy were the National Pork Board surprised! These journalists know their pork and how to use it!

Gretchen VanEsselstyn, the editor in chief of Chile Pepper Magazine, won top honors with her deliciously decadent Double-Decker Schnitzel Sliders with Hot Pink Slaw, perfect for fall menus. We dare you to spice-up any Oktoberfest celebration with this tasty German-inspired pork slider. These are also perfect little portions for your next tailgate! Plus, you can guarantee your party will be on-trend. The Double-Decker Schnitzel Sliders with Hot Pink Slaw features BOLD Asian flavors, which VanEsselstyn says are hot now. She ensures “these chic and sassy sliders burst with sweet, sour, salty and spicy layers of crunch bliss in every bite.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

The Grand Prize winner was the Double-Decker Schnitzel Sliders with Hot Pink Slaw recipe


Double-Decker Schnitzel Sliders with Hot Pink Slaw

Double-Decker Schnitzel Sliders- fun to say, and fun to eat. Inspired by emerging superstar chef David Chang’s trend-setting use of bold Asian flavors, playfulness and deep love for pork, these chic and sassy sliders burst with sweet, sour, salty and spicy layers of crunchy bliss in every bite.

Schnitzels
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and chopped (fat reserved)
6 pork cutlets or 6 thin pork chops, pounded to 1/8-inch thickness
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons canola oil

Slaw
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce (available at Asian markets)
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

To Serve
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
6 small potato rolls, such as Martin’s Famous, toasted
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
12 dill pickle slices

Make the schnitzels: In a skillet over medium low heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat, and let rest on paper towels. When cool, chop coarsely, and set aside.

Cut a cutlet crosswise into 2 pieces, and trim to create 2 (2-inch by 2-inch) pieces. Repeat with remaining cutlets, for a total of 12 pieces. In a shallow bowl, place the flour, and season with pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat the egg, and stir in the hoisin sauce. In a third shallow bowl, place the breadcrumbs.

Prepare a small sheet tray lined with parchment. Dip a cutlet in the flour, and shake off excess. Using the opposite hand, dip the cutlet in the egg mixture. Switching back to the dry hand, dip the cutlet in the panko, and pat to be sure it is completely coated. Place the cutlet on the sheet tray, and repeat with remaining cutlets. Place tray in the refrigerator, and let sit 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the slaw: In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, hoisin, mayonnaise and chili sauce, and stir. In a large bowl, place green and red cabbage, and fold in the vinegar mixture until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cook the schnitzels: In a large nonstick skillet, combine the canola oil and 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat, and heat until oil shimmers. Working in batches as necessary, cook the schnitzels, turning once, until crisp and golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. Drain on paper towels.

Prepare the sliders: In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and chili sauce. Open the rolls, and lay them out on plates. Spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise mixture on the inner bottom half of each roll. Spread 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce on the inner top half of each roll. Place a schnitzel on the bottom half of each roll, then top each with 2 pickle slices and one-sixth of the reserved cooked bacon. Cover each with a second schnitzel, then top each with 1/4 cup slaw. Place tops on rolls, and serve.

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of Gretchen VanEsselstyn on behalf of the National Pork Board



While they received several editor contest entries, two more rose to the top of the pack. Check out these runners-up for a tasty, on-trend pork dish!
- Bacon and Peanut Butter Cookies courtesy of Raina Bien of PastryScoop.com says, “The blurring of sweet-salty flavors seen at top restaurants is strangely intoxicating. Bananas and quail, parsnip cake, olive caramel…Here’s another kind of recipe entirely: a homey cookie that’s not at all avant-garde. Bacon stars with peanut butter in a smoky treat with the perfect balance of sugar and salt.”
- Brined Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Glaze courtesy of Susan Selasky Mickels of the Detroit Free Press. She says, “Brining continues to be a popular technique to add moisture and flavor to foods. Pomegranate juice continues to be a darling in the food industry because of its antioxidant qualities. In this recipe, a popular technique pairs with a sweet pomegranate glaze for an easy meal that can be prepped in advance.”

Additonal recipes available from the National Pork Board