Escalopes are enjoyed around the world

Escalopes are thin slices of boneless meat that have been pounded flat.

In French cooking, escalopes are almost always cuts of veal, but they can also be turkey, chicken, pork or even fish.

Escalopes are embraced by many cultures.

Variations include the Italian scaloppini and the German schnitzel.

Classically, escalopes are breaded and sautéed, then sauced -- most often with cream and mushrooms. Another version requires a cheese topping of Gruyere or Comté before being breaded and is called escalopes a la Mandelieu.

The Italians top it with a red sauce or piccata, a lemon and caper sauce, or serve a similar dish called saltimbocca, which requires a topping of prosciutto and sage.

Germans do wonderful things with schnitzel -- which is often thicker than escalope -- from topping it with a fried egg to adding hunters sauce, a brown sauce with mushrooms, or a paprika sauce.

My all-time favorite, however, is the Austrian version, cordon bleu, which is two pieces of veal or pork, stuffed with ham and cheese, breaded and sautéed crispy brown and served with a simple lemon garnish.

Veal is not always readily available, so a good substitute is a thin pork chop with the bone removed. The technique of flattening the meat with a meat tenderizer is almost always employed.

Cover the meat in plastic wrap and hammer away with a mallet or a rolling pen, flattening both sides, until you get it as thin as you can without tearing the meat.

There are two variations to prepare the meat for breading: a milk bath followed by coating of bread crumbs or first coat with flour, then egg and finally bread crumbs. This makes for a slightly thicker coat

ing. My choice for bread crumbs is almost always panko.

CORDON BLEU

4 butterflied pork chops

6 tablespoons flour

2 beaten eggs (plus a tablespoon of water)

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (or more)

4 slices of ham

4 slices of Swiss cheese

Oil for frying

2 tablespoons butter

Salt, pepper

Lemon garnish

Tenderize the pork chops, being careful not to tear them. Place the flour, eggs and bread crumbs in separate bowls. Season the flour with black pepper (a little Tony Chachere's would be a good idea, too).

Wrap one slice of ham around a slice of Swiss cheese and place in the center of the pork. Fold the chop over, closing it and secure open ends with toothpicks. Coat the meat with the flour on both sides, shake off any excess, dip in the whisked egg mixture turning meat to cover both sides and then place into the bread crumbs shaking off any excess but insuring it is evenly covered. Add oil and butter to a sauté pan, about 1/2-inch deep and heat to medium-high. Add the cordon bleu, and then reduce the heat to medium, cook until golden brown, turning only once. Remove the toothpicks, garnish with lemon and serve immediately.

SPICY GULF COAST SHRIMP ESCALOPE

4 boneless pork chops

2 beaten eggs

1 cup panko bread crumbs

12 large shrimp

3 tablespoons butter

3-4 chopped cloves of garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup white wine

Black pepper

1/4 cup Valentina hot sauce

Oil as needed

Lemon and cilantro for garnish

Marinade the shrimp in the hot sauce for 1 hour. Tenderize the pork until it is thin, season with black pepper, coat each piece of pork thoroughly with the beaten eggs (you may need to add a little water if the eggs are too thick), remove the excess and toss in the panko to coat completely. Heat oil in a sauté pan and sauté the breaded pork until brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes on a side, remove and set aside. Turn the heat up (add a little oil if necessary) and cook the shrimp very quickly, about 45 seconds on a side, remove and set aside. In the same pan melt the butter, add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, add the wine and lemon juice and reduce by 3/4.

Plate the pork, top with 4 shrimp each and the sauce. Serve with a lemon garnish and a few sprigs of cilantro.

SIMPLE SCALOPPINI

4 boneless pork chops (not butterflied)

2 beaten eggs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 large can chopped tomatoes

6 ounces tomato paste

1 cup white wine

1 chopped onion

1 small grated carrot

3-4 cloves chopped garlic

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 pound of linguini

Black pepper to taste

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Prepare the pork as in cordon bleu recipe above, although use boneless pork chops that are not butterflied. To make the simple red sauce, sauté the onion and carrot in butter for 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and white wine, season with the Italian seasoning and simmer for 30 minutes. Prepare the linguini by the package directions.

Plate the linguini, top with the scaloppini, then the red sauce and garnish with the cheese.

Julian Glenn Brunt, who has been a Mississippi Gulf Coast resident for more than 20 years, has a deep and abiding interest in art, culture and the culinary heritage of the South. His column runs weekly in Taste. You can contact him at living@sunherald.com.

This story was originally published March 21, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Escalopes are enjoyed around the world ."