By definition, the Roman specialty called “saltimbocca”—which literally means “jump mouth” (don’t ask)—is a thin slice of veal sprinkled with sage, then topped with prosciutto and, usually, a brown Marsala sauce. But as Stonewood’s culinary director, Chef Mike Drury, points out, “Everybody has their own idea of how it should be done. I’ve made it multiple ways, myself. With veal, with chicken, with pork. I’ve pinned the prosciutto to the meat with a sage leaf in between and sautéed it. And some people even use the pointy side of the tenderizing mallet to pound the prosciutto into the meat before sautéing. In fact,” he adds, “There are probably as many versions of saltimbocca as there are Italian families.”

And now, our intrepid chef has added yet another take on that Mediterranean favorite with his Pork Saltimbocca. In Mike’s recipe, three medallions of pork tenderloin replace the usual (and more caloric) veal. After they’re quickly sautéed to a lightly-browned crispness, they’re arranged in an off-set stack with alternate layers of super-thin prosciutto, then sprinkled with grated mozzarella and drizzled with sage-flecked cream sauce.

As Chef Mike explains, “When we were planning our summer menu, I wanted to do something a little bit lighter. That’s why I went with pork medallions instead of veal and used just a sprinkling of part-skim mozzarella (which, we found, melts even better than the whole-milk form). But I also wanted this dish to retain its traditional rich flavor and texture, so I went with a sage cream sauce instead of the typical Marsala.” The delicious surprise for Stonewood’s customers is that this saltimbocca can play it light without sacrificing its street cred for heartiness and flavor.

Sides for this stellar attraction were as carefully rehearsed as its lead performer. As Mike says, “We like to serve Pork Saltimbocca with a dish of fresh, house-mixed vegetables, which means a nice offering of the season’s best. That could be zucchini, yellow squash or haricot verts. Usually, I’ll also put some red bell pepper to bring out some sweetness, maybe some julienne carrot for a bit of crunch. Then we just steam ‘em, drizzle ‘em with a real light garlic butter, shake on some salt and pepper—and they’re good to go.”

“We also do a turmeric rice pilaf with this dish”, he adds, “And the reason for the turmeric pilaf, as opposed to the saffron version, is that it’s lighter in taste and not quite as ‘bitey’. And while turmeric gives you the same vibrant yellow color, it’s got a more palatable appeal that bridges so many different taste profiles. With all that going for it, there’s no mystery about why we chose it to be our house rice.”

What might mystify some of Stonewood’s regulars is why this particular type of cuisine took so long to show up on the menu. As Mike readily admits, “For us, this kind of dish is venturing into uncharted territory, though it’s an area we always intended to explore. But now we’re slanting a good part of the menu toward an Italian theme.”

To take just a few examples, they’re planning to bring back their grilled Swordfish Bruschetta that’s drizzled with a balsamic reduction glaze (for which they’ve received more than a few favorable comments). “We’d taken that item off the menu”, Mike says, “But after getting so many requests for it, we decided to bring it back and revisit it for a while for those customers who enjoyed it so much.”

Also, the appetizer portion of the seasonal menu is going to include a classic carpaccio—that is, sliced raw beef crowned with arugula and plated with capers. Mike’s special touch is the balsamic glaze that’s drizzled across it in one direction and the Dijon aioli (a mustard/oil/mayo/egg dressing) ditto’d across the other.

Then, of course, there’s the distinctively Italian Pork Saltimbocca itself. What Chef Mike particularly likes about his latest creation is the synergy of its four basic ingredients. “It’s kind of like a symphony,” he says. “You can have the woodwinds, but if you don’t have the brass or the strings, it just doesn’t work. It’s when everything comes together that the conductor--the guy holding the sauté pan--can calibrate the different parts and get the fullness of all the flavors. With this saltimbocca, you’ve got the richness of the cream sauce, the earthiness of the sage, the saltiness of the prosciutto, and the delicate taste of the pork. Add a little salt and white pepper to that and you’ve really got something good!”