Wiener Schnitzel
Austria's classic breaded veal cutlet, pounded paper-thin and fried in enough butter to float, so the loose breading puffs up around the meat instead of sticking flat to it - coating the cutlets loosely rather than pressing the breadcrumbs on firmly is what lets the crust soufflĂŠ away from the meat as it fries, the detail that separates a real Wiener Schnitzel from an ordinary breaded cutlet.
âą 30 minđ˝ 4 servings
dinner
Ingredients
- â˘4 veal cutlets
- â˘1/2 cup flour
- â˘2 eggs, beaten
- â˘1 cup breadcrumbs
- â˘1 cup butter, for frying
- â˘1 lemon, cut into wedges
- â˘2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- â˘Salt to taste
- â˘Pepper to taste
Steps
- 1.Place each veal cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until about 1/8 inch thick - this thinness is what lets the schnitzel cook through in just a couple of minutes, so the crust can turn golden without the meat drying out.
- 2.Season the cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper.
- 3.Set up a breading station: flour in one dish, beaten eggs in another, and breadcrumbs in a third.
- 4.Dredge each cutlet in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, coating loosely rather than pressing the crumbs on firmly - a loose coating is what lets the crust puff away from the meat and soufflĂŠ in the hot fat instead of sticking flat.
- 5.Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and a breadcrumb dropped in sizzles immediately.
- 6.Fry the cutlets one at a time in the hot butter, spooning fat over the top as they cook, for about 2 minutes per side, until deep golden and the crust has puffed away from the meat. Turn only once.
- 7.Drain briefly on paper towels, but don't cover them, which would soften the crust.
- 8.Serve immediately with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of parsley.