Thom Hackett Original Recipe from The Internet Servings: 4 Before starting a Schnitzel recipe see general rules below.

Transcription

1 Schnitzel Cooking Thom Hackett Original Recipe from The Internet Servings: 4 Before starting a Schnitzel recipe see general rules below. **Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. to use as a holding oven. You can also place the plates in to get warm at this time. A schnitzel is literally a slice or cutlet from veal. Flattened fried chicken breasts, turkey breasts or pork cutlets. Known in Italy as Scaloppini and in France as Escalope, it is cut with the long grain or more exactly at a slight diagonal to it so that it will not fall apart when pounded. It is this pounding with a mallet that gives schnitzel its tenderness and delicacy. General rules for preparing schnitzels: 1. The breaded cutlets should be rested at room temperature for min before frying. 2. The fat should be hot enough so that the breading does not fall off. (not real hot..this may take some practice...use chicken, turkey or pork as veal is expensive. 3. A schnitzel should be golden brown on both sides and thoroughly cooked in 6-8 minutes. It should only be turned once. Otherwise it is too thick. 4. Keep finished schnitzels in a low oven [ ] while the others are frying. Never cover them or they will steam and the breading will get soggy. Traditional German Schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel) The most popular variations of Schnitzel is Jägerschnitzel ( hunter schnitzel, served with a rich mushroom gravy recipe to come!), Zigeunerschnitzel ( gypsy schnitzel, served with a zesty bell pepper sauce), and Rahmschnitzel ( cream schnitzel served with a rich cream sauce). All three are commonly found in German restaurants and both are positively delicious. When served plain, Schweineschnitzel (simply pork schnitzel ) is usually garnished with a slice of lemon and a sprig of parsley, as pictured.

2 Let s get started! The first key to achieving the perfect Schnitzel is to pound it very thin, no more than 1/4 inch thick. The reason this is important is because you ll need to fry it at high heat for a short period of time to get that perfect crispy crust without leaving the middle of the meat raw. The easiest way to pound the pork chops is to lay them between two pieces of plastic wrap. Be sure to pound them using the flat side of a meat mallet.

3 Lightly sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Have all of the dipping bowls laid out at the same time so you can move from one to the other quickly. Lay out two plates and a shallow bowl: Fill with flour/salt, lightly beaten eggs, and plain breadcrumbs (not panko). Dip the pork into the flour, coating all sides.

4 Next dip the pork into the egg mixture, coating all sides. Then coat the pork with the breadcrumbs. The next key to achieving the perfect Schnitzel: Don t press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Just softly coat the pork on both sides and all edges, and then gently shake off any excess.

5 The next key is to immediately fry the Schnitzels. Don t let them sit in coating or the end result won t be as crispy. You don t need a ton of oil, but you need enough so that the Schnitzels can swim. The final key is to make sure the oil is hot enough but not too hot. It should be around 330ºF test it with a candy thermometer. If it s too hot, the crust will burn before the meat is done. If it isn t hot enough, you ll end up with a soggy coating. When the oil is hot enough it will actually penetrate the coating less and you ll end up with a crispy dry coating instead of an overly oily one. The result will be a beautifully crispy coating with a tender and juicy interior, and that s

6 exactly what we want. Remove the Schnitzel from the fry pan and place them briefly on a plate lined with paper towels. Transfer them to serving plates and garnish with slices of lemon and fresh parsley sprigs. Serve immediately with Spaetzle, French fries, or German potato salad and a fresh leafy green salad.