Wiener Schnitzel

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When it comes to traditional, authentic, and classic German cuisine, it doesn’t get any better than a nice warm plate of Wiener Schnitzel. This recipe gets horribly abused and poorly duplicated all over the world. But if you’ve been turned off by the Wiener Schnitzel you’ve tried before, taste this, authentic German Wiener Schnitzel – it will change your mind for the better forever.

Weiner Schnitzel

(Photo Attributed to Author: Dr. Bernd Gross)

Wiener Schnitzel Recipe-

Ingredients:
  • 4 veal cutlets (4 to 8 oz. each), pounded to a uniform ¼” thickness (Note: pork or chicken can also be used, but traditional Wiener Schnitzel is veal)
  • ½ cup brown rice flour
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground coarse sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground black peppercorns
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 4 large eggs
  • Lard for frying (you can use vegetable oil, if your health consciousness demands it, but again, for the authentic and traditional German cuisine experience, lard is essential)
Directions:
  1. Place the cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap on a heavy, flat surface, and pound them into ¼” thickness with a meat mallet. (or any heavy flat object with a handle, like a cast-iron skillet will work, if you don’t have a meat mallet)
  2. Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl, until frothy, then dredge the cutlets through the froth, until coated on all sides.
  3. In another large bowl (or a casserole dish would work, too), combine the rice flour and bread crumbs well, and spread the mixture out, then dredge the egg-coated cutlets through the flour/crumb breading mixture until well coated on all sides. Important! Do not press the breading mixture.
  4. Melt enough lard in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, to where the cutlets are swimming in the lard (or oil, if you are not using lard). This deep frying method will actually result in less fat being absorbed into the breading mixture than having the cutlets resting on the bottom of the pan and sticking to it. It also allows the breading shell to puff up a little, which is desirable in well prepared Wiener Schnitzel.
  5. Fry until the breading mixture coating is a rich, deep golden brown, then remove the cutlets from the pan with a slotted spatula, and set them on a rack placed over some paper towels, to drain off excess fat, and also to allow the cooked cutlets to “set up”.
  6. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes, then serve while still hot, with quartered fresh lemons as a garnish—Wiener Schnitzel tastes great with a light drizzling of lemon juice over it, seeping into the meat—you want a loose covering, a sort of “shell” if you will, when your Wiener Schnitzel is done.

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