Flamenquines Cordobeses - Jamón-filled Pork Roulades
A typical dish in Andalusia, particularly in Córdoba, a flamenquin is a roulade of pork loin and jamón that is breaded and fried. Usually served with alioli or mayonnaise, lettuce and french fries, the fillings of a flamenquin may vary, from the addition of cheese and vegetables like peppers or asparagus spears to the substitution of jamón with ordinary deli ham. Although this dish can be found throughout Spain, it remains most popular in Andalusia where it can be home made or purchased at many local butchers and markets pre-prepared and ready for frying.
Ingredients
- 4 pork fillets, butterflied
- ¼ lb of thinly sliced jamón serrano
- extra virgin olive oil for frying
- 2 eggs, beaten
- flour
- bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- parsley
- the juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Sandwich the butterflied pork fillets between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound using a meat mallet until they are between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick.
- If using garlic, lemon and parsley, mix with a little bit of olive oil, coat the meat and leave to marinate in the refrigerate for an hour or two.
- Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste.
- Lay the meat flat and cover with a thin layer of jamón.
- Carefully roll up the pork loin with the jamon inside so that it forms a thin log, 8 - 12 inches in length.
- Once rolled, coat each roll in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
- In the meantime, heat ¼ inch of oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. You don't want it to be so hot that it burns, but you want it to be hot enough that the flamenquin begins to cook immediately and does not absorb oil.
- Place each flamenquin in the oil with the open edge of the roll facing down and cook until golden. Continue cooking each side until the entire exterior is crisp and the pork is cooked through. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the flamenquines one at a time.
- Once golden on all sides, remove flamenquines to a dish covered with paper towels.
- Cut in half and serve on a bed of lettuce with a side of mayonnaise or alioli.
Notes
Some recipes for flamenquines replace the pork loin with veal or chicken, but we think the traditional version is best. In place of jamón serrano, you could use jamón ibérico, but we prefer the use of serrano for cooking. If you are unable to obtain jamón, you could substitute prosciutto for a similar effect. Many recipes include cheese wrapped in with the jamón. A typical cheese to use is a standard Spanish "semicurado" which would be similar to a mild jack cheese. If you are worried that the length of the flamenquin will make it too difficult to manage when frying, feel free to cut the pieces of pork loin in half prior to rolling.