What is Schnitzel?
Schnitzel or Wiener Schnitzel is a traditional preparation originating from Vienna, the capital of Austria. Wiener schnitzel literally translates as Viennese cutlet. The German word sniz means “slice”.
This dish consists of a thin slice of veal cutlet breaded in the English style, i.e., coated with a layer of flour, egg and white breadcrumbs. The cutlet is then fried in a mixture of clarified butter, butterschmalz and oil.
Viennese schnitzel is usually served with parsleyed potatoes and cranberry jam. The flavor is enhanced with a dash of lemon juice.
What is the origin of Schnitzel?
Schnitzel appeared in Vienna in the 15th and 16th centuries, but the name we know today only dates from the 19th century. The first mention of it was in Prague in 1831.
Since then, the recipe has spread all over the world, and the famous Milanese and Parisian cutlets, chuleta valluna and tonkatsu are well-known variants.
In Germany and Austria, Wiener Schnitzel has a PDO (protected designation of origin). This label guarantees the use of veal. In this case, the preparation will instead be called wiener schnitzel vom schwein, pute or huhn depending on the meat used (pork, turkey, or chicken).
In Italy, the recipe appears from the 12th century and even in the list of dishes eaten by the canons of Sant’Ambrogio. For the Italians, the first versions of the Austrian schnitzel were well fried in flour but not in breadcrumbs.
This addition is said to be typically Milanese and would have been integrated into the Austrian recipe after Marshal Josef Radetzky had brought it back to his country in the 19th century. In Milan, breadcrumbs are sometimes replaced by breadstick chips.
For the linguist Heinz-Dieter Pohl, the contribution of Field Marshal Radetzky is an invention. According to him, the link between schnitzel and the marshal only appeared in 1869 in an Italian book that did not cite its sources. The linguist compares schnitzel to another Austrian dish, backhendl, fried chicken attested as early as the 18th century. According to him, the recipe of the canons of Sant’Ambrogio would be a coincidence without any link with the Austrian version.
How to prepare schnitzel
The preparation of schnitzel is elementary, but it is essential to get fresh veal cutlets. These, although usually finely cut, must be flattened with a mallet.
This step breaks down the fibrous structure of the meat and makes it much more tender, although the cutlet is already a delicacy. It also makes the thickness of the cut even and thus exposes the piece of meat to even cooking.
The veal slices are then seasoned and passed through a plate containing flour (ideally T45 or T55). The flour will help the egg stick to the meat. The eggs are broken in a second plate, they must be mixed but not too much in order not to foam, which would prevent the adhesion of the last element, the breadcrumbs. The egg should evenly coat the veal slices.
Finally, cover the cutlet with breadcrumbs and lightly tap the surface to make sure they adhere. Once prepared, the cutlets can be cooked immediately or kept for a few hours in the refrigerator on a small rack.
The cooking takes place in a mixture of oil and clarified butter. It should be preferred to classic butter because when reaching a high temperature necessary for the good cooking of the escalopes, the fat of the butter separates and burns. The clarified butter, having been freed of part of its structure, can thus be used to fry food at high temperatures.
Ideally, baking should be done at a temperature between 160˚C and 170 °C so that the breadcrumbs are fried and crisp.
The cutlets are cooked for a few minutes, the slice of veal must remain tender and juicy. Once browned, the schnitzel should be immediately drained on paper towels to get rid of any excess fat on the surface.
The cutlets can then be eaten with marbled potatoes and cranberry jam. You can also add a dash of lemon juice to bring freshness and acidity.
What are the variants?
In Germany, veal is sometimes replaced by pork. In this case, the dish is called schnitzel wiener art or wiener schnitzel vom schwein, meaning Viennese pork cutlet.
Among Ashkenazi Jews who do not eat pork, poultry is usually substituted. In the past, Jewish communities in Central Europe were well-known for their poultry farms.
The schnitzel recipe was imported to Israel in the early 19th century. Again, for religious reasons, the cutlets are fried in oil and not in butter because dairy products are never mixed with meat. This dish is very popular in Israel today and has variations in Sephardic communities such as the Yemenis who season the cutlets with spices. There are also vegetarian and vegan versions of schnitzel.
Another famous variant of schnitzel is jägerschnitzel, literally hunter’s schnitzel is a schnitzel with a hunter’s sauce.
In Italy, cotoletta alla milanese is not schnitzel, but a veal cutlet sliced in half and kept on the bone, but the rest of the preparation is similar.
Schnitzel
Ingredients
- 4 veal cutlets approx. 6 oz. (180 g) each
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 oz. very fine breadcrumbs
- ½ cup clarified butter (Butterschmalz)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 wedges lemon
- Salt
- Pepper
Equipment
- Mallet
Instructions
- Place the veal cutlets on a work surface and flatten them using the flat side of a mallet.
- Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on each side.
- Pour the flour and breadcrumbs each into a large, flat plate.
- Break the eggs into a deep plate and whisk them.
- Dredge each cutlet, one at a time, in the flour on both sides.
- Then immerse each cutlet in the beaten eggs, making sure that no area of the cutlet remains dry.
- Then dredge each cutlet in the breadcrumbs and gently press the breadcrumbs with the hands or the back of a spoon so that the breadcrumbs adhere well.
- Pour the oil into a large skillet, add the clarified butter and heat over medium heat.
- As soon as the oil and clarified butter heat well and begin to foam, immerse the cutlets in them.
- Fry the cutlets over medium heat, about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- To turn the cutlets over, use large kitchen tongs or two spatulas, being careful not to pierce them.
- Remove the crispy schnitzel from the pan and drain them on paper towels.
- Dry them thoroughly.
- Arrange each cutlet in a dish and add a lemon wedge before serving with lingonberry jam and parsley potatoes.
Sources
Wikipedia (EN) – Cotoletta alla milanese
Wikipedia (EN) – Wiener Schnitzel
Escalope viennoise : recette du Wiener Schnitzel
Wikipedia (FR) Escalope à la viennoise
Esther and Morgan are the two foodies behind Renards Gourmets. They are based in Paris where they develop four-handed recipes and culinary photos.
Lissi mata says
Excelente mil gracias voy a prepararlas horneadas
Hands Doing Things says
¡Nos alegra que te hayan gustado, Lissi! Tanto horneadas como fritas son deliciosas.