Recipe: German Pork Schnitzel

Have you ever heard of schnitzel?  No, I hadn't either before I met Mike, well, except for in The Sound of Music, of course!  Growing up, Mike's family had a foreign exchange student [Hi, Rebecca!! Yes, she reads this blog from time to time.] and schnitzel became a family favorite.  Last year, we had Easter at Mike's parents' house with homemade schnitzel, and this year, we thought it would be special to keep that tradition alive.  

Making schnitzel does take some time, about and hour and a half, and most of that is active prep, except for a half hour in the middle when it's in the fridge.  You might notice [or probably not unless you've been to my house], these photos are a bit old.  I documented the last time we made schnitzel, summer 2013, but never got the post together - so enjoy!  This recipe makes enough for about 3-4 people.

Ingredients:

- 2 pounds of thin-sliced pork [most butchers will slice it thinly for you if you call ahead]

- Safflower oil

- Salted butter

- Seasoned breadcrumbs

- Panko breadcrumbs

- 1 egg

- Salt and pepper

You also need saran wrap, a meat tenderizer, cutting boards, a skillet or two, aluminum foil, cookie sheets, paper towels, a skillet lid, and a large serving plate.

Directions:

1. Line cutting boards with saran wrap, place a single layer of pork on the saran wrap, and top with another layer of saran wrap.

2. Use the meat tenderizer to pound of the meat until it is to your liking.

3. Unwrap the pork and place on cookie sheets, in single layer.  Cut the pieces of pork in half or thirds [each should be no bigger than 4 inches by 4 inches].

4. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

5. In one bowl, scramble the egg, and in another, mix together the seasoned and Panko breadcrumbs (3 parts seasoned to 1 part Panko).  

6. Egg wash and bread each piece of pork and place it back on the cookie sheet.

7. Cover the cookie sheets with aluminum foil and place them in the refrigerator for a half hour.

8. Prepare each skillet for frying each with 2-3 tablespoons of butter and 4-5 tablespoons of safflower oil.  Turn heat to medium-high and cook butter and oil for 3-4 minutes until really bubbling.

9. Place single layer of pork in skillet and cook on each side for a few minutes, until breadcrumbs are brown and crispy.

10. Line the serving plate with paper towels and place fried pork on towels, covering it with the lid.  

11. Keep cooking pork, occasionally adding more oil, until all is done.  After each layer of pork on the serving plate, top with more paper towels and the lid.

12. To enjoy: top schnitzel with Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice and serve with egg noodles and a vegetable!