Pork Entrecôte

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a pork entrecôte? Gather your ingredients. The key to a delicious entrecôte is quality meat, so choose it carefully. Above all, go for chilled pork — frozen is far less flavorful. Which cut is best? I'm using pork neck (shoulder) — it's marbled with fat, so the finished entrecôte comes out juicier. Pork shoulder or leg works too, even with a small bone.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rinse the meat well and dry it. Trim away all the membranes and any sinew, then pat the meat dry with paper towels. Now cut the pork into pieces — be careful here: not too thick, not too thin. About 5/8 inch (1.5 cm) thick is ideal.

3. Step 3:

   

   Lightly pound the meat with a meat mallet on both sides. To avoid splatter, cover the piece with plastic wrap first and pound through it. If you don't have a mallet, you can score the meat crosswise with the blunt side of a knife.

4. Step 4:

   

   Now for the seasoning. I'm just using red pepper — black works too. Other seasonings are great as well: herbes de Provence, dried thyme, rosemary, or garlic. But don't overdo it: I recommend picking one favorite spice. Don't salt the meat at this stage — salt draws out moisture and makes the meat dry. We'll salt it at the very end. Generously coat the meat all over with your chosen seasoning.

5. Step 5:

   

   Drizzle on a little vegetable oil and spread it over the whole piece. The oil can be anything from plain corn oil to fine olive oil.

6. Step 6:

   

   Heat the remaining oil well in a skillet. For frying, use refined oil — otherwise it will burn. Add the meat, lower the heat a little, and cook for about 7 minutes. A crust should form that seals the juices inside the meat.

7. Step 7:

   

   Then carefully flip the meat and cook the other side for about 7 minutes too. To make sure it's fully done, cover and cook over low heat for another 7 minutes. Pork needs to be cooked through, so keep an eye on it.

8. Step 8:

   

   Serve the entrecôte with a dry red wine. Round it out with seasonal vegetable salads and fresh herbs. Enjoy!