The Dish: Pork schnitzel from Pine Street Grill in Center City
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In this week's the Dish, we're headed to the newest spot from one of Philly's most celebrated culinary couples.
Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp opened Pine Street Grill on Fitler Square in Center City in December.
It's a family-friendly spot with delicious comfort food, like the pork schnitzel we're making.
Shulman is a four-time James Beard nominee.
She and her husband, Kemp, have opened four restaurants together in the past five years: the Michelin-starred Her Place Supper Club, My Loup, Rittenhouse pop-up Amourette, and now Pine Street Grill.
The couple says the timing is perfect now that they're parents.
"We've done fine dining for a long time," says Kemp. "We wanted a place that used the same ethos of the fancy restaurants, but in a neighborhood setting that was a lot more affordable, more approachable. My Loup and Her Place are both so special and unique in their own way, but it's definitely more of an occasional spot. Here, now that we have the baby and we live in the neighborhood, it's the kind of place where I just want to eat some wings and watch the game."
They even have their first-ever kids' menu. Their toddler, Evie Belle, likes the matzah ball soup, chicken, and fries.
Pine Street Grill is all about comfort food, from burgers to rotisserie chicken to salads and the pork schnitzel.
"We wanted to channel a little bit of South Philly on this one," says Chef de Cuisine Jonathan Rodriguez. "Who doesn't love cherry peppers more than when cherry pepper season comes around in South Philly? So we came up with the idea of doing the pork schnitzel with a cherry pepper sauce."
First, you need a good cut.
"It's pork chop, bone-in," says Rodriguez. "We literally just pound it out a little bit, so it's a little thin. You don't want it too bulky."
Brine the pork chop for about 24 hours in a mixture of water, brown sugar, and salt. Then, dredge it in all-purpose flour, an egg wash, and panko breadcrumbs.
"It gives a better crust than just a standard Italian breadcrumb, which is a lot finer," says Rodriguez.
Pan-sear the pork in butter and a little bit of oil, and then pop it in the oven to finish cooking it.
They add an optional cherry pepper and a cherry pepper sauce on top.
Pork Schnitzel recipe from Pine Street Grill:
Ingredients:
- Pork chops, pounded thin (can use bone-in or boneless)
For the brine:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1 quart of water
For the dredge:
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs, whisked
- Panko breadcrumbs
Directions:
1. Mix the brown sugar, salt, and water in a large bowl, and brine the pork chops in the mixture in the fridge overnight
2. When you are ready to cook, drain, dry, and then dredge the pork chops
3. Dip each piece of pork first in all-purpose flour, then an egg wash, and finally into the panko breadcrumbs
4. Pan fry pork chops in butter and canola oil on each side for a few minutes
5. Bake in the oven to finish off until golden brown
Optional: Top with sliced cherry peppers and fresh basil
