Schnitzel (Veal or Pork)

To know me is to know I love schnitzel. A shallow fried, crumbed piece of veal or pork. 

I have on many occasion suggested that, given a choice, I would without question choose schnitzel as my last meal before heading off to the eternal schnitzel kitchen in the sky. I have also joked (only partially) that schnitzel can only be schnitzel when made with veal or pork. There is, in my world, no such thing as chicken schnitzel. Anything other than veal or pork is just crumbed 'something'. No one calls crumbed mushroom a mushroom schnitzel, do they?

Now that said, for what is fundamentally a simple recipe, there are many slight variations depending on the part of the world, the cuisine or the available meat for crumbing. Wiener schnitzel, possibly the most well known, is the traditional veal schnitzel and a National dish of Austria. I grew up knowing schnitzel as řízek (in Czech), veal or pork only and served with Czech potato salad, although much to my surprise my mother does now cook crumbed chicken calling it the same ... I hang my head in confusion!

In Japan you have tonkatsu, pork crumbed in panko crumbs, usually deep fried, I love this also, particularly with a Japanese curry sauce. In Italy you have veal Milanese, herb encrusted, also wonderful and then you have the extensions. Jägerschnitzel (from Germany with a mushroom sauce), Parmigiano (Italian covered in tomato sauce and cheese then grilled), Cordon Bleu (Swiss, veal or pork wrapped around cheese and ham, crumbed and fried), Kiev (usually chicken, wrapped around frozen garlic butter, crumbed and fried).

As I mentioned schnitzel for me is only pork or veal. But you can basically use the process to crumb and fry anything you wish. Cheese for instance, I knew this in Czech as Smažený Sýr as a kid, I think literally fried cheese, great using Edam, Gouda or even Camembert. As mentioned above you can go the veggie route and use mushrooms, cauliflower or any of the more common meat substitutes. As for meat in Australia both chicken and beef are common, nothing stopping you crumbing lamb chops, and crumbed fish fillets are popular all over the world. Game meats work just as well but tenderising well makes a difference for the likes of venison and kangaroo.

The basics are the same, flour, egg, bread crumbs and seasoning, so go for it. 

Below is my take (not that it is special) on veal or pork schnitzel. The key here is actually the cooking method, hot oil and constant movement during the cooking process. I'll also add a couple of Youtube links that are worth viewing to get the idea of the pan action, it takes a little practice but worth it for a truly traditional crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside schnitzel.

• Wiener Schnitzel - Chef Hannes Tinnacher
• Wiener Schnitzel - Chef Herbert Wieser

Have a go, let me know.