San Jacobo

San Jacobo is Spain's answer to "cordón bleu" - a ham & cheese stuffed schnitzel. It's standard restaurant fare, tasty & satisfying. Also known as a "cachopo" - typically veal, stuffed with serrano ham and a slice of mild, meltable cheese. In this case we'll used thinly sliced beef - stuffed, breaded & fried in olive oil.

Ingredients

• 2 thin sliced pieces of beefsteak, pounded thin
• 2 or 3 strips of bacon
• 1 thin slice of mild manchego cheese
• 1 egg (beaten), flour & panko breadcrumbs for breading
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Preparation

• Place bacon on a paper towel on a plate, cover with a second piece of paper towel, zap 30-45 seconds in the microwave. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, medium high.
• Salt & pepper the beef, make a sandwich with the beef slices, cheese & bacon in the middle. Secure on 4 sides with toothpicks.
• Dredge the "sandwich" in flour, dip in the egg, and cover both sides with panko breadcrumbs.
• When the oil begins to shimmer, fry on medium high until golden brown & crispy - about *1 minute on each side.
• Done.

Note:
1. Using bacon in lieu of the normal "serrano" ham found in the Spanish verison. In fact any sort of thin sliced ham will be fine.
2. Thin scallops of veal, chicken. turkey or pork will work as well. Use a mild cheese that melts a little: gouda, provolone, mild cheddar, havarti, bethmale, etc.
3. Spice the flour to your liking: pimentón, tumeric, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, curry powder...
4. For a low-cal version: skip the breadcrumbs, dredge in flour, then the beaten egg and fry away.
5. * Cooking times may vary, depending on the thickness of the meat.

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