I love Veal Saltimbocca. I order it often at our favorite local Italian restaurant. In Italian it means ‘jumps in the mouth’ and it has been since I can remember. There is just no way my wife would eat veal. I’ve seen chicken Saltimbocca before but I had never seen it done with pork. A quick Google search found plenty of recipes.

When we purchased the dandelion greens, I knew I wanted pork with them like I did in my previous recipe: Pan Roasted Pork Chop, Braised Dandelion Greens, Ricotta Whipped Potatoes with Apple Jus. I also made the bitter greens in this one: Skate Wing, Sautéed Dandelion Greens with White Bean and Fried Polenta Cakes. In the latter, I mixed the greens with white beans.

I wanted a little sauce so I combine my previous recipes with a saltimbocca sauce recipe.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Pork Saltimbocca

• 4 pork cutlets
• 8 thin slices of Prosciutto (we prefer Prosciutto de Parma if you can find it)
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 1-2 tbsp AP flour
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Ingredients for Sautéed Dandelion Greens with Cannellini Beans

• 1 bunch Dandelion greens
• 2-3 oz pancetta, diced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 15 oz can Cannellini beans, drained but not rinsed
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional)
• Salt
• Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano for plating

Directions

How to make Pork Saltimbocca

1. Depending on the thickness of your pork cutlets, you may need to pound them a little thinner. Season with salt and pepper. Place on sage leaf on one side of the pork and with two pieces of prosciutto, wrap the pork where the seams of the prosciutto slightly over lap. Ideally the top seams should end on the opposite side of the sage leaf.
2. Once the pork is covered with the prosciutto, dust with flour and add another sage leaf on the outside.
3. Heat a large non stick pan over medium high heat. Coat the pan with olive oil and cook the pork, sage side down until half cooked through. Flip the pork for another minute until cooked through.
4. Take the pork out of the pan and allow to rest.

How to make Sautéed Dandelion Greens with Cannellini Beans

1. In the same pan reduce heat to medium, add the pancetta and cook until crispy and rendered.
2. Add shallot and cook until translucent. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flake and cook until garlic is fragrant.
3. Add white wine and stir to loosen any bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine until it is almost gone.
4. Add Dandelion greens and cook until slightly wilted. Add Cannellini beans and toss to combine.
5. Add chicken stock and continue cooking until thickened. Add butter if you like and toss to combine. Season with salt, if needed.