Balkan-Style Stuffed Schnitzel

Butterfly the pork loin chops one at a time. Place the first one flat on a cutting board, position a sharp chef’s knife sideways and slice through the middle of the chop, creating two thinner pieces. Repeat with the remaining chop.

Cut a large piece of plastic (at least 3 times the size of a pork slice), place 1 pork slice in the middle of it then cover with another large piece of plastic wrap. Using a meat hammer, pound out the pork slice into a very thin, about ¼-inch thick, rectangular cutlet. A slight oval shape is okay too. Uncover the top plastic piece, season the pounded pork cutlet with salt and pepper, cover again and refrigerate for a few hours or up to overnight. Repeat with the remaining slices of pork.

Take the cutlets out of the fridge, remove the top plastic pieces and lay half of the ham on a cutlet to completely cover it. Repeat with the remaining cutlets and ham. With a spoon, smear half the cream cheese in the center of a hammy cutlet, repeat with the remaining cutlets and cream cheese.

Fold the short sides of one of the cutlet edges in. Then fold and roll the entire cutlet from one end to the other tightly, fully encasing the cheese in the middle. If it doesn’t feel secure, like it’s going to unravel, use toothpicks to hold it together. Repeat with remaining 3 cutlets.

Place the eggs, flour and breadcrumbs each on a separate plate. Dredge each rolled cutlet on all sides in the flour first, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Make sure cutlets are completely covered in breadcrumbs then set aside.

Heat 1½ inches of canola oil in a fry pan over medium-high until it reaches 350º F. Fry each rolled cutlet, 1 by 1, turning with tongs as needed until golden brown all over and the pork is cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Serve the schnitzels hot with tartar sauce, lemon wedges and French fries.