My brother fancies himself a gourmet cook, but rather than disagree with his delusion, I usually just nod and let him go about blissfully concocting his latest comestible contrivance.
I must admit, though, that he does usually deliver on his culinary creations, but the kitchen devastation left in his wake requires HazMat-like intervention to clean and reassemble.
However, one such dish was so good that I did what all male siblings unabashedly do: I claimed it for my very own. And today, I’ll share that recipe with you and tell you what wines to pair with it.
This recipe is actually a knock-off of a famous Italian dish called Cotoletta alla Milanese (or Veal Milanese). Today’s dish, Pork Milanese, substitutes pork chops for veal and is not only delicious, but significantly less expensive to prepare. My brother’s version (see photo) features a bone-in pork tomahawk, but my recommendation is to use bone-in, center cut pork chops that are equally delicious, much less expensive and readily available at most grocery stores.
Another advantage of Pork Milanese is that it can be paired with both white and red wines.
White: White Italian wines such as Verdicchio from the Marche region or Arneis from northern Italy would be excellent choices. Try 2023 Bisci Verdicchio di Matellica ($20) or 2023 Michele Chiarlo Le Madri Roero Arneis ($28).
Red: Lighter-styled reds such as pinot noir or Sangiovese will work well, too, with this dish. Try 2022 La Crema Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($25) or 2023 Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico ($26).
John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book in the Augie Trilogy — “Augie’s Wine” — is now available. His first two books — “Augie’s War” and “Augie’s World” — are also available online and in bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com.
