Ptaszki (Translation: Little Birds)

Also known, inelegantly but popularly, as Christmas Pork Rolls.  First prepared in 1982 while learning to cook and living in Madison, WI.  -jb

2 large pork tenderloins (will make approximately 20-26 ptaski)
   (tip: buy trimmed tenderloins; cost more but save time)
Bacon, cut strips in half, cross-wise
Green peppers, cleaned and sliced into ½” wide pieces
Onions, sliced into thick ¾” wide pieces
Pickles (Vlassic brand Polish style), spears, cut lengthwise in half and ends trimmed to 4” long (but reserve the pickle juice)
Hungarian Paprika
Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder (see note 1)
Olive Oil
Reserved pickle juice
2 Knorr’s vegetable bullions

Special tools:
Waxed paper
Kitchen mallet
Spray bottle with tap water
large nylon cutting board
round toothpicks
two oven-proof 12” skillets (or work in two stages with one skillet and an oven-proof baking dish) 

Preparation:  Spread waxed paper over a 2’x4’ section of the kitchen counter.  You will be laying out the flattened medallions of pork on this area.  Spray the area with water and keep it moist to prevent the meat from sticking to the waxed paper. Also, cut off a dozen or more sections of waxed paper, 10” long.  You will use these to cover the meat as you pound it flat.  This minimizes splatter of small bits of meat.

Trim off any excess fat from the tenderloin. Cross cut the tenderloin on a slight diagonal, into 1” to 1¼” thick medallions.  Each tenderloin will yield about 12 medallions.

Spray the cutting board with water.  Place a medallion of pork on the cutting board and spray with water.  You want to keep the meat very moist as you work.  Cover the medallion with a piece of waxed paper and pound with the smooth side of the mallet. Carefully pound the medallion until very thin; about the thickness of shirtbox cardboard.  The resulting piece will be about 4” x 7”.  Spray the waxed paper layout area with water and set the meat, flat, on the wet surface.  Repeat until all the medallions are flattened and arranged in rows on the waxed paper.  Remember to spray often as you work to keep the meat moist.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sprinkle the meet with about 2-3 pinches of salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.  Place a slice of bacon over the each piece of meat.  Place a piece of green pepper, pickle and onion at the end closest to you, perpendicular to the length of the meat.  Have toothpicks ready.  Roll the meat, starting at the end with the green pepper-pickle-onion and spear with one or two toothpicks to hold the roll together.  Place on a plate to free up work space.  Repeat the instructions with the second tenderloin. 

Pour 5-6 tablespoons of oil into a 12” skillet, turn up heat to medium high and add ptaszki  to fill the skillet in one layer.  Brown on all sides (as best you can; the toothpicks are in the way).  If your skillet is not oven-proof, place the browned ptaszki into a large oven-proof baking dish.  Brown the remainder of ptaszki until all are browned.  Add 1/3 cup of pickle juice and sprinkle the rolls with a little Paprika.  Cover with aluminum foil and place into the oven.  Bake for 1-1/2 hours.

Gravy:  Pour the liquid from the baking dish into a skillet and add about ½ cup of water.  In a cup, add 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 3 tablespoons of cold water.  Mix thoroughly until smooth.  Set aside.  Add the Knorr’s vegetable bullion in the pan and dissolve, breaking it up with the back of a spatula.  Add black pepper, to taste.  Add the flour-water mixture and stir constantly while cooking over a moderate heat until thickened.  Season with salt, to taste.

Above, cutting medallions from a piece of tenderloin

Above, a medallion covered with a piece of waxed paper

A flattened medallion

All ingredients applied and ready to be rolled up.

Ptaszki, ready to be browned.

Browning in a cast iron skillet