Chef Chino Navarrete, owner of Chino's Place in Zionsville
This hidden gem of a restaurant is not the only love of this chef’s life. Jennifer Devlin and Chino Navarrete have five sons, a few of whom you will probably see when you stop in to have the amazing Chicken and Waffle Tower or for Chino’s Fiesta Night, every Wednesday!
“He is the hardest worker I ever met,” Devlin says of her husband of 19 years, the chef and owner of Chino’s Place in Zionsville. Navarrete’s work ethic and passion for following his dreams has not only inspired his family but also everyone he shares his story with.
Navarrete was born in Mexico but always had the dream of coming to America—and at 14 years old he did. He did not know any English at the time, but crossed paths with a woman who would spend an hour every day teaching him. At 18, he got a job as a dishwasher at Buckeye Tavern in Macungie. Navarrete was a hard worker, always showing initiative and the willingness to learn new things. The owner at the time gave him the opportunity to go to culinary school in New York City. Navarrete accepted and spent Monday through Friday at school in the city and would come back to Pennsylvania to work on the weekends. His determination earned him the job of head chef at the Alburtis Tavern, but he always dreamed of having his own place.
Just like all of his goals and dreams, Navarrete made it happen in April of 2021 when he drove past the then-empty space and saw a “for rent” sign. He pulled into the parking lot on a whim and found the owners of the property. He signed the lease the very next day. Together, Navarrete and Devlin worked on the space in hopes of creating an atmosphere that felt comfortable and inviting.
Nowadays, the popular restaurant has many regulars who come in weekly for Navarrete’s elevated homestyle dishes. He loves making people happy and does so with a delicious plate of comfort food and a smile when he walks around the tables to say hello to his guests. “I am so grateful to have created a life that allows me to cook with love and care and share it with our guests here.”
Here, he is sharing his very popular Jagerschnitzel recipe, which is a dish that can be found on the menu at Chino’s Place. The meal is warm and rich—tender pork loin breaded with a demi-glace sauce with mushrooms and bacon, served with mashed potatoes. For the nights when you don’t feel like cooking, you can head over to Chino’s Place and know you can have a delicious meal there cooked with all the same care and love as home.
7567 Chestnut St. #3, Zionsville | 610.702.4270 | freddyandchinosplace.com
Chino’s Famous Jagerschnitzel
Ingredients
Dry Mix:
- 2 ½ cups of flour
- 3 tsp. black pepper
- 3 tsp. garlic powder
- 3 tsp. onion powder
- A pinch of salt
Egg Wash & Coating:
- 3 eggs
- 4 oz. whole milk
- 3 cups Kikkoman panko bread crumbs
Pork & Toppings:
- 10 oz. pounded pork loin
- 3–4 slices of bacon
- 3–4 mushrooms, chopped
- Demi-glace sauce mix
- Yukon gold mashed potatoes
Instructions
The process begins with pounding up your boneless pork loins into an even thickness of about a half-inch to be ready and prepared in the dry mix.
Gather your dry ingredients and combine in a large bowl. Once your dry mix is ready, take your pounded loins and dip and coat each side in the dry mix. Repeat for all pieces of the pork.
Gather your wet ingredients—eggs and whole milk—and whisk them together in a medium bowl. Once all the ingredients are combined, take your pork loins and dip in the egg wash mix. Repeat this process for the remaining pork loins. Once all of the pieces of pork have been dipped in the egg wash, take your panko bread crumbs and coat each side of the pork. This creates that golden-brown look when you put them into the skillet to heat up!
Add oil to a skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Sear the pork so you get a crispy golden-brown outside (about 2–3 minutes on each side for the pork or until your pork has reached the golden-brown look that we want!). Repeat for the rest of your loins.
Set all of your pork aside and bring skillet to a low heat. Combine bacon, mushrooms and demi-glace mix in the skillet to make that special brown gravy sauce to savor that delicious flavor. Bring sauce to a low boil and set aside.
To serve, place the Jagerschnitzel on a plate along with brown gravy tossed over the top of the pork loin. To finish off the meal, place Yukon gold mashed potatoes on the side.
Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!
Published as "Beyond the Menu" in the February 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
Tag @lvstylemag and #livelvstyle when you make it at home!
