Thin, tender pork cutlets are pounded, lightly breaded and then pan fried until golden and crisp. Pork schnitzel is a classic main dish that is easy and fun to make at home.
Is it just me, or is pretty much everything better breaded? I find that there is something absolutely irresistible about crispy breaded things, and schnitzel is a great example. Based on its popularity I get the feeling that a lot of people feel the same as I do.
I've used pork in this recipe, but you could easily swap it out for chicken if that's more of your thing - all the same steps apply.
How to make it
First things first, you want to trim off any fat from the sides of your pork chops.
Then, working two chops at a time, place them in a large freezer bag, seal it up and then pound them out with a wooden rolling pin (or similar instrument) until they are about ¼ inch thick each.
Alternately, you can pound them out with a meat tenderizer, but I like doing it in the bag because it keeps the mess down.
When you have your cutlets all pounded out season them well front and back with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, then start building your breading station.
You want to round up a few large plates, then add the flour to one, the beaten egg to another, and the breadcrumbs to another and then save a plate to store the breaded schnitzel.
To bread the cutlets:
- Dip the cutlet in the flour and cover both sides. Gently shake off any excess flour.
- Dip the cutlet in egg and cover both sides.
- Press the cutlet down into the breadcrumbs, then do the same on the other side.
- Place the breaded cutlets on a plate to rest until ready to cook.
To cook the schnitzel:
Heat a large skillet to medium heat, then add cooking oil to cover the bottom about ½ an inch.
When the oil is hot, start cooking the schnitzel one at a time.
Gently lower a piece of schnitzel into the skillet then let it cook without disturbing it for 2-3 minutes or until the breading on the bottom has just turned golden brown.
Flip and cook the second side the same.
To keep the cooked schnitzel crisp while the rest of them are cooking place it on a wire rack inside a lightly heated oven.
Tips for the best schnitzel
give your schnitzel a REALLY good seasoning before you bread it. Don't be shy with that salt and pepper.
As you cook more schnitzel the oil will eventually get dirty with breadcrumbs that have fallen of the cutlets. Feel free to change the oil in between cooking batches if this bothers you - it doesn't bother me.
You can refrigerate the cutlets for about an hour before cooking to help the breadcrumbs stay on better.
How to serve it
I served mine with a bit of horseradish sour cream, but it's commonly served with a lemon wedge. If you want to get fancy (and up the comfort level) there are a couple of traditional sauces you might want to try:
- creamy mushroom hunter's sauce
- creamy dill sauce
If you are looking for the perfect side dish, garlic parmesan asparagus would be an excellent choice!
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Pork Schnitzel
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 1⁄4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs - beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions
To prepare the cutlets:
- Trim the fat from the outside of the pork chops.
- Working 2 chops at a time, place them inside of a large plastic ziploc bag and pound the chops out to about ¼ inch thick using a wooden rolling pin or similar instrument.
- Season both sides well with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
To bread the shnitzel:
- Place the breadcrumbs, flour, and beaten egg into wide shallow bowls or plates.
- Using tongs lift the first cutlet and cover both sides with flour. Knock any excess flour back into the bowl.
- Dip the floured cutlet into the egg wash and cover both sides.
- Lay the first side of the dipped cutlet into the plate of breadcrumbs and press down to stick them on. Flip over and repeat on the second side.
- Place the breaded cutlet on a clean plate, and continue to bread the remaining cutlets.
- Cover the bottom of a large skillet with about ½ inch of oil, then heat to medium heat.
To cook the schnitzel:
- Fill a wide skillet with about ½ inch of oil and then heat to medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, start cooking the schnitzel working one at a time.
- Gently place the first side of the schnitzel in the heated oil and let it cook undisturbed for 20-3 minutes or until the bottom breading has crisped and just turned golden brown.
- Flip the schnitzel over and cook the second side for another 2-3 minutes.
- Notes:
- Cooling the breaded schnitzel in the fridge for an hour or so before frying will help keep the breading on while cooking.
- Placing the cooked schnitzel on a wire rack while the rest of the batch cooks will help it keep crispy. To keep it warm, place in a lightly warmed oven.
Notes
- Cooling the breaded schnitzel in the fridge for an hour or so before frying will help keep the breading on while cooking.
- Placing the cooked schnitzel on a wire rack while the rest of the batch cooks will help it keep crispy.
- To keep it warm, place in a lightly warmed oven.
* nutritional information is calculated by online tools and may not be 100% accurate.
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