Breadcrumbed fried loin ham and cheese

It is a version of cordon bleu: a piece of loin is filled or layered with ham and cheese, coated in breadcrumbs and cooked until crisp. The filling may be enclosed inside the meat or sandwiched between pieces.

Chill it for about 20 minutes after breading, then fry in a shallow layer of oil at about 170°C. Turn it gently and cook until golden and the centre reaches 63°C; let it rest for 3 minutes before cutting.

Yes. Put it on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake at 200°C for about 20–25 minutes, turning once, until crisp and hot in the centre. Check that the pork reaches 63°C, then rest it for 3 minutes.

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking and eat within 3–4 days. Reheat until steaming hot throughout; an oven or air fryer helps restore the crisp coating.

Serve it with potato salad, chips or buttery mashed potatoes, plus something sharp and fresh such as a green salad, gherkins or slaw. The acidity cuts through the rich cheese and fried coating.

Pork schnitzel is usually a thin, pounded piece of pork coated in breadcrumbs, without a ham-and-cheese filling. Breaded pork schnitzel has 21.5 g of protein per 100 g, compared with 4.1 g in breadcrumbed fried loin with ham and cheese.

Freeze it once fully cooled, wrapped well to protect the coating, and use within about 2–3 months for best quality. Defrost it overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven until hot throughout.