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A Wiener Schnitzel is a Wiener Schnitzel

Schnitzel Varieties in Austrian Cooking

Potatoes - Austria's most consumed vegetable

Wiener Schnitzel

Veal Cutlet Breaded and Fried

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Wiener Schnitzel is another great Austrian recipe, escallops (thin slices of meat) breaded and deep-fried.  Almost every visitor to Austria gives it a try.

The original Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal, but very commonly pork is used in Austrian households as veal is more expensive. It is generally served with parsley potatoes and/or with potato salad.  We also squeeze a fresh lemon wedge over the Schnitzel, and some like cranberry sauce with it.

In many families it is a Sunday lunch dish.  Next to roast pork (Schweinebraten) it is the most common dish Austrians eat on a special day like Sunday.

I have written about Wiener Schnitzel in one of my articles in which I encourage maintaining authenticity with classics like this one.

Recipe for Wiener Schnitzel

Serves 4

4 escallops (thin slices) of veal or pork

salt, ground pepper

flour, breadcrumbs

2 whole eggs

oil to deep fry

1 lemon

cranberry sauce (optional)

Wiener Schnitzel

Breaded and Fried Veal Cutlet

1. Preparation

Prepare 3 deep plates.  Put flour in one, beaten eggs in another and breadcrumbs in the third.  The meat is dipped in that same order.  Start with moderate amounts;  you can always top up quantities as needed.

2. The meat

The meat slices are tenderized and rendered thinner with a meat mallet (available in any kitchen store).  The schnitzel fries at high temperature in just 2-3 minutes.  The escallops are hammered thin to ensure the meat is cooked through when the outside is crispy. Season with ground pepper.

3. The coating

Put a schnitzel on the plate with flour, cover both sides and shake off excess flour.  Then dip it in the egg, making sure schnitzel is covered with egg.  

4. Deep frying

Put oil in a large frying pan 1/2-inch deep and heat.  Schnitzels will swim which is deep frying.  Get the oil hot enough that the schnitzel sizzles immediately when you put it in.  When it has the desired color, turn it.

When cooked, place on paper towels to soak fat from schnitzel.  Salt the schnitzel now if you haven’t done so before.  It is ready to serve.

5. Extras

It is very tasty to let it fry a bit in real butter after deep frying.
You can deep-fry ready boiled potatoes with the schnitzels.  They get a nice crunchy skin; or break them up with spatula and cook as hash browns.

by Bernhard Baumgartner

Lift, let excess egg drop off, and lay it in the breadcrumbs.  Make sure schnitzel’s surface is coated with breadcrumbs.  Again, lift it off plate and shake a little so loose crumbs fall off.