Weiner Schnitzel

As an Army brat, I spent eight of my first 13 years of life in Germany. Schnitzel, therefore, was a staple of my diet. It was as normal as a hamburger or pork chops. I've only been back once since I moved back stateside when I was 13, so I'm always on the lookout for a good German restaurant. Unfortunately, they can be hard to find, and even when you do find a good one, it's usually not cheap, and I'm a lady on a budget. Soooooo, I decided I better learn how to make this treat myself. When I first made them in South Carolina, I used pre-packaged Knorr bread crumbs that I bought at a German market near my house. Sometimes he had veal cutlets, but sometimes he only had pork cutlets. I'm definitely more partial to the veal, despite the price. But whichever you choose, the making of schnitzel is the same. After I left South Carolina I had difficulty finding the pre-packaged schnitzel breading, so I did some research and learned how to make it myself. What I'm about to show you is the result of research and my own cooking style. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Veal or pork cutlets (very thin)

Flour

Eggs

Plain bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

These days I buy my veal cutlets at Publix. Check with them, or your local butcher, well in advance of when you plan to make schnitzel to ensure you catch them when you can get the right cut. For those who know better, schnitzel is typically rounder than mine above, but it's the only cutlets they had available. 

Get all of your ingredients prepped, lining up your bowls: flour, eggs, bread crumbs. I added just enough water to my eggs to give me about a 1/2 inch of liquid in the bowl.

Blend the egg/water mixture completely. Turn your heat on med-high until your oil is hot, and then reduce a little but not quite to medium. Lightly salt and pepper the cutlets, then one at a time dredge in flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumbs, and then place the cutlet into the hot oil. If you cook these too high, you will darken the crust way too much but not cook the meat through.

Cook the schnitzel for several minutes on each side until golden brown. Be gentle, or you will destroy your crust.

Traditionally in Germany, schnitzel is served with a lemon wedge that you are supposed to squeeze over it. Not my thing. lol Another option is a Knorr sauce. They have a jaeger schnitzel sauce (which is a mushroom sauce) and several other varieties of toppers. I'm a purist and see no reason to add anything else to my schnitzel.