Best Schnitzel With A Twist Recipes

AUTHENTIC GERMAN SCHNITZEL (SCHWEINESCHNITZEL)

Steps:

• Place the pork chops between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them until just 1/4 inch thick with the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Lightly season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Place the flour mixture, egg, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dip the chops in the flour, the egg, and the breadcrumbs, coating both sides and all edges at each stage. Be careful not to press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Gently shake off the excess crumbs. Don't let the schnitzel sit in the coating or they will not be as crispy once fried - fry immediately.
• Make sure the cooking oil is hot enough at this point (about 330 degrees F) as you don't want the Schnitzel to sit around in the coating before frying. Use enough oil so that the Schnitzels "swim" in it.
• Fry the Schnitzel for about 2-3 minutes on both sides until a deep golden brown. Transfer briefly to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Serve immediately with slices of fresh lemon and parsley sprigs or with your choice of sauce. Serve with German Spaetzle (see recipe for Homemade German Spaetzle), French fries, or German potato salad, and with a fresh leafy green salad.
• Be sure to also try the popular Jägerschnitzel version!

DINNER ESSENTIALS: PORK SCHNITZEL WITH A TWIST

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. Chef's Note: Schnitzel is a traditional German dish, typically made with boneless pork chops. This is not Wienerschnitzel... Authentic Wienerschnitzel is made with veal, not pork.
• 3. Gather Your Ingredients.
• 4. Take the pork chops, place them in the pickle juice, and allow them to marinate for 6 - 8 hours, but no more than 24 hours.
• 5. Chef's Note: This step is optional; however, it adds another level of flavor to this traditional dish.
• 6. Chef's Note: If you don't have any spare dill pickle juice lying about, you can use the brine from this recipe. It's what I use. https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/side-vegetable/easy-peasy-dill-pickles.html?p=1
• 7. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry.
• 8. Place between two pieces of wax paper, and pound them into an even thickness of about 1/8 inch (.3cm).
• 9. Chef's Note: The pounding part is fun... it allows you to release all those frustrations you've been holding in. So pound away.
• 10. Add the flour to a dish.
• 11. Beat the egg with the milk, and add to a second dish.
• 12. Add some salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs, and add to a third dish.
• 13. Add about 1/4 inch (.6 cm) of oil to a sauté pan, and over medium heat.
• 14. Chef's Tip: The ideal temperature for cooking is between 225 - 235f (107 - 112c)... higher than this and the breading will burn before the pork cooks; lower than this and the breading won't crisp up.
• 15. Coat the pork with the flour, and shake off any excess.
• 16. Coat the pork with the egg/milk mixture, and shake off any excess.
• 17. Coat with the breadcrumbs, and shake off any excess.
• 18. Place into the hot oil.
• 19. Chef's Note: Do not let the pork rest after coating. If you do, the crust will be soggy.
• 20. Cook for about 2 - 3 minutes per side, until nice and golden brown.
• 21. Drain on a paper towel, for 1 - 2 minutes before serving.
• 22. PLATE/PRESENT
• 23. Place on a plate with your favorite sides, add a few slices of lemon, and go for it. Enjoy.
• 24. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

SCHNITZEL

Steps:

• With a chef's knife, cut the bread (including the crusts) into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Set them out overnight until completely dry. Alternatively, place the baking sheet in a 200-degree oven until the bread is completely dry but not browned at all, turning and stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Transfer dried bread to a mini chopper or food processor, and process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute.
• Transfer bread crumbs to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Sift the fine crumbs into the bowl, leaving behind coarser crumbs. Discard the coarse crumbs, or process and sift again. (You can repeat this several times, but there are diminishing returns.)
• Working one at a time, place a cutlet between two sheets of parchment paper or in a heavy-duty zip-top bag. Pound with a flat mallet or the bottom of a skillet or saucepan, aiming at the thickest parts with the heel of the pan. The goal is to stretch the pork cutlets to about four times their original surface area (twice as wide, twice as long) with about 1/8-inch thickness. Do not pound so aggressively that the meat tears or frays. Transfer to a large plate or tray, season lightly with salt and pepper, and repeat with remaining cutlets.
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 225 degrees. Set up a breading station next to the stove with four rimmed baking sheets or dishes large enough to fit one cutlet with plenty of space around it. Leave the one farthest from the stove empty, add flour to the second, beaten eggs to the third, and the bread crumbs to the one closest to the stove. (It will seem like too many bread crumbs, and that is OK.)
• Add the vodka to a small bowl. Nearby, have a pastry brush, a clean kitchen towel, a timer, a large fork or thin slotted spatula, a large plate lined with paper towels, extra paper towels, a cooling rack set in a rimmed sheet pan, a fine-mesh fat skimmer in a small saucepan or heatproof bowl, and an instant-read thermometer.
• When ready to cook, heat the lard in a large wok, Dutch oven or deep, steep-walled sauté pan over medium-high until it registers 375 to 400 degrees on the instant-read thermometer. Adjust flame to maintain that temperature throughout the cooking process.
• Working one at a time, place a cutlet in the empty rimmed baking sheet. Brush the meat with vodka, completely covering both sides with a thin layer. Immediately transfer the cutlet to the flour. Gently shake the baking sheet. Then, using your fingertips, pick up the cutlet from one edge and flip it over. Shake the baking sheet again to coat the second side with flour. Pick up the cutlet with your fingertips, shake gently to knock off excess flour, then inspect to ensure that there is a thin, even layer of flour across the whole cutlet. If necessary, re-dredge it to cover up any un-floured spots, but be careful not to fold the cutlet, which can cause the flour to bunch.
• Lay the cutlet onto the eggs. Shake the baking sheet gently. Using your fingertips, pick up the cutlet from one edge and flip it over. Pick up the cutlet with your fingertips, allowing excess egg to drain for a few seconds, then inspect to ensure that the cutlet is thoroughly coated. If necessary, dip the cutlet back into the egg to cover any dry spots.
• Transfer the cutlet to the bread crumbs. Using your fingers, scoop crumbs from around the cutlet and pile them on top, completely covering the cutlet. Do not press on the crumbs or cutlet at any point. Shake the baking sheet for a few seconds. Then, using your fingertips, pick up the cutlet from one edge, flip it, and return it to the bread crumbs. Shake the baking sheet, then pick up the cutlet with your fingertips and gently shake off excess crumbs, being careful not to fold or crease the cutlet.
• Carefully lay the cutlet onto the hot fat, starting near you and draping it away from you to avoid accidentally splashing yourself with hot oil. As fast as you can, wipe your fingers clean on the kitchen towel. Then, start swirling the pan, allowing the fat to splash over and around the cutlet for exactly 30 seconds. Using the fork or a thin, slotted spatula, pick up the cutlet from one edge and carefully flip it, being careful not to splash hot fat. Continue to cook, swirling. The cutlet should start to puff and inflate. Keep cooking while swirling until the cutlet is golden brown and crisp, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
• Using the fork or slotted spatula, pick up the cutlet from one edge and transfer to the paper towel-lined plate. Blot the top very gently with an extra paper towel, then transfer to the rack on the rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Use the fine-mesh strainer to skim off the foam and remove as many stray bread crumbs from the fat as possible.
• Reheat the fat to 375 to 400 degrees and repeat Steps 7 to 11 for the remaining cutlets.
• Serve cutlets immediately with lemon wedges, lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce.

SCHNITZEL SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs and milk in another shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Combine the breadcrumbs and seeds in a third dish; season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge each cutlet in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to coat both sides.
• Arrange the cutlets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, 1 hour. (This will help the coating stick to the meat.)
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the cutlets until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side, sprinkling with the parsley during the last minute of cooking. Remove to a rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt.
• Sandwich the schnitzel on the pretzel rolls (you might need to cut the bigger pieces of meat). Top with pickles, red onion, lettuce and/or mustard.

VIENNA SCHNITZEL

Steps:

• Heat deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place meat on a solid, level surface and pound with a mallet until it is 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
• Place the flour and bread crumbs in separate dishes. Soup plates are useful. Lightly beat the eggs and add the milk. Lightly season with salt and pepper and put this into another soup plate.
• Coat the meat in flour, patting lightly by hand. Using a fork to hold the meat, dip into the egg mixture and drain slightly. Next, coat with the breadcrumbs by lightly pressing the crumbs into the meat. When each piece of meat has been prepared, deep fry in cooking oil until golden brown.

SCHNITZEL

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs using a fork.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. The oil should completely cover the bottom of the skillet. While the oil heats, dip cube steaks into the egg and milk, then dip into the flour mixture, and shake off the excess. Place in the hot skillet.
• Fry steaks on each side until golden brown, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until well done. Do not cover. Drizzle with lemon juice before serving.

WIENER SCHNITZEL

Steps:

• One at a time, place veal pieces in heavy 1-quart plastic bag, and pound thin with meat pounder. Place veal on large platter, and lightly salt and pepper both sides.
• Put flour in shallow bowl wide enough to hold a piece of veal flat. Put eggs and cream in a similar bowl. Beat to blend. Put bread crumbs in a third similar bowl.
• Heat oven to 175 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment. Arrange bowls near stove, along with a platter covered with layers of paper towel and a small plate covered with layers of paper towel.
• Heat oil in an 11- to 12-inch skillet or sauteacute; pan, the deeper the better. When oil is quite hot, put parsley in strainer, put in oil, and fry 10 seconds. Remove parsley, draining well, and place on the small plate. Add butter to skillet, and adjust heat to medium.
• Put 1 slice veal in flour, cover well, then shake off excess. Dip in egg, turning to coat. Put in bread crumbs, coating well, then shake off excess. Put in skillet, and fry about one minute, gently moving pan in circular motion on the burner. Oil should be frothy. When breading looks bubbly and starts to brown, turn and cook another minute, then transfer to paper-towel-lined platter. Repeat with remaining veal, adjusting heat so crumb coating cooks gradually and evenly, without burning.
• Place the cooked, drained schnitzels on a baking sheet, and put in the oven until ready to serve, up to 15 minutes.
• Arrange veal on platter or individual plates. Garnish with lemon wedges and fried parsley, and serve with salad.

SCHNITZEL WITH A TWIST

Steps:

• Place the pork chops between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the pork with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2-inch.
• Combine crackers, Greek seasoning, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the pork chops in the flour, then dip them into the egg. Toss the pork chops one at a time in the cracker mixture to coat.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the pork chops in the butter until golden brown, reducing heat to medium-low if the pork browns too quickly, 10 to 15 minutes. Flip the pork chops, continue cooking until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

SCHNITZEL WITH A TWIST

Steps:

• Place the pork chops between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the pork with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2-inch.
• Combine crackers, Greek seasoning, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the pork chops in the flour, then dip them into the egg. Toss the pork chops one at a time in the cracker mixture to coat.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the pork chops in the butter until golden brown, reducing heat to medium-low if the pork browns too quickly, 10 to 15 minutes. Flip the pork chops, continue cooking until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.