Here in Germany, Stefan and I have judged many a restaurant based on their schnitzel. If they can’t make that well, then there’s no reason to bother with most of their other food either. Schnitzel can actually be prepared many different ways but Wiener is the basic style which pretty much every restaurant in Germany serves. The others are more like cutlets served with various sauces and ingredients and I really can’t say I have eaten any of them.

Wiener schnitzel is fairly easy to make and really doesn’t require much time or many ingredients to prepare. Some of the best schnitzel is made from veal cutlets (it’s best if you can get them cut from the thigh) but pork is also very commonly used due to the much lower price.

Wiener Schnitzel assembly line

This recipe comes from Stefan’s mom who makes a mean schnitzel. She made Wiener schnitzel the first day we brought Mackenzie home from the hospital and they really hit the spot after all that hospital food. She also happened to make these last weekend when we were visiting them so I pulled out the camera and started writing. It’s the first time I’ve managed to watch her make them and I can safely say I’m not as intimidated about making them as I used to be! Basically it’s just chicken fried steak with veal and less trouble on the side dishes.

Serve your Wiener schnitzel with a fresh salad topped with a yogurt dressing (traditional German style) or just potato salad, roasted potatoes or French fries.  If you serve a slice of lemon on the schnitzel as well, you can squeeze it over the schnitzel just before eating it to give it a nice flavor. Or use your knife to press on the lemon as it lays on the schnitzel and it will squeeze out the juice wherever the lemon is placed without making a mess.

Come back on Thursday when I’ll be teaching you how to make authentic Bavarian potato salad!

Print Recipe
Wiener Schnitzel
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Using 3 separate plates or shallow dishes, set out ingredients for coating. Cover bottom of one dish with flour, one with eggs and the last with bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper to the eggs and beat with a fork to combine.
  2. Trim fat from cutlets and beat them with a small frying pan or large, smooth-surfaced mallet to ensure they are evenly thin (about 1/2 inch) across the cutlet.
  3. Add butter to frying pan and melt. Coat each cutlet on both sides with flour, egg mixture and finally bread crumbs. Place schnitzel in pan and fry at medium-high heat for several minutes. Be sure that you always keep butter in the pan for frying but do not let the pan get so hot that the butter burns.
  4. When the butter creeps up the edges of the schnitzel, it’s ready to flip. Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve immediately. Garnish with a slice of lemon, if desired.
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