Wiener Schnitzel
Wiener Schnitzel or Viennese Cutlet
After traveling through Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland for almost 3 weeks, I have come to the realization that not all schnitzel is created equal. The dish is still quite popular in the bigger towns as well as the smaller villages While schnitzel comes in three varieties, veal, pork or chicken, I have determined that my favorite is pork, which is the schnitzel most familiar from my childhood. In fact, the schnitzel I most enjoyed during my travels was the one most like my mother’s delicious schnitzel. She prepared this for us as a quick week-night meal as it only takes 20 minutes from start to table. Her secret to fabulous schnitzel was fresh ingredients, hot oil and enough of it, plus eating it fresh from the skillet. She was insistent that the oil must be deep enough and hot enough so that the breading is immediately fried to a crisp around the meat and thus will not absorb the fat. The cooking technique used is known as “shallow frying” and it creates results that are more like deep frying than simply simple skillet frying. Evenness in results can best be achieved with lots of oil and actually less fat absorbed by the food.
Ingredients
4 pork cutlets, (about 6 ounces each), pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
3 eggs
Canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 lemon
Preparation
Prepare flat plates, one with flour and one with the bread crumbs.
Beat eggs in a shallow bowl.
Season the cutlets. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Dip in egg and then in the bread crumbs.
Heat 1/4 inch of oil in frying pan to 350 degrees. Add butter and melt.
Add cutlets, one at a time, to the hot oil and fry about 3 minutes, turn and repeat with other side. Remove to plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Serve immediately with lemon and parsley potatoes.
