From Byzantine gold, to Viennese icon, Schnitzel is among the cherished national dishes of Austria. But its origins are far from Austria, and date back to the 9th century.

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Why Wiener Schnitzel is a Keeper

This is a showy dish, which can be made with almost any type of meat: many German restaurants have successfully created chicken schnitzel dishes, to entice the more healthy-conscious.

Wiener Schnitzel is not time-consuming and needs only one large pan with hot oil in it to deep fry the breaded cutlets. Clean up can be a bit tricky, as the dish needs to be served immediately as this is the best way to enjoy the sizzling crunch of the breaded schnitzel, as it is just out of the hot fat. This is a great recipe to serve on its own, with just a slice of lemon and a small amount of lingonberry jam, or with sides of tangy slaw or french fries.

Ingredients and Methods

The Art of Making Perfect Schnitzel

Good wiener schnitzel is hard to beat, but bad schnitzel is all too easy to achieve.  To avoid rubbery meat, damp crust, and unappetizing flavors requires attention to detail and adherence to certain key principles. Here are some essential tips for making excellent schnitzel.

Choose the Right Cut of Meat 

While traditional Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal — and the Viennese have enshrined this into law, not everyone is a fan of veal for all kinds of reasons.  Fear not: excellent schnitzel can also be made with other type of meats including chicken, pork tenderloin, boneless pork chops, or beef tenderloin. The key is to choose a tender cut that can be pounded thin.

Give the Meat a Proper Pounding

The meat should be pounded to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch. This ensures quick and even cooking, resulting in a tender cutlet.

The Breading Technique

The classic breading involves three steps: flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs. Each layer should be even, with excess shaken off. This creates the characteristic crispy exterior.

The Frying Method

Contrary to popular belief, schnitzel should not be deep-fried — these are not chicken nuggets. Instead, it should be shallow-fried in enough fat to come halfway up the sides of the cutlet. This method ensures the perfect golden-brown crust. Use the largest sauté pan in your arsenal for best results.

The Choice of Fat

The choice of frying fat is crucial. Butter and olive oil cannot maintain the oil temperature necessary to quickly fry the breaded veal cutlet.  Clarified butter or ghee is ideal for achieving a rich, buttery flavor. Alternatives include duck fat, chicken schmaltz, or a neutral vegetable oil. Regular butter or olive oil should be avoided due to their low smoke points.  

Temperature Control

The fat should be hot enough that the schnitzel sizzles immediately upon contact, but not so hot that it burns. The ideal frying time is about 3-4 minutes per side.

The Seasoning for Wiener Schnitzel

Injecting flavor into schnitzel is a tricky business. Traditionalists refuse to season any part of the dish, allowing the butter and meat to shine through with only a spritz of lemon juice and possibly a light dusting of salt once it is completed to compliment the natural flavors. More modern practitioners throw that idea out the window, jazzing up all three of the breading stages: hot sauce in the eggs, salt in the flour, and all kinds of spices in the breadcrumbs. In Israel, I tried schnitzel spiked with Za’atar, which I loved! 

I have found the middle road makes for the most consistent schnitzel. I do whisk mustard and lemon zest into the egg coating as that seems the best place to infuse a nice tangy flavor note, but apart from that, I stick to seasoning the meat with salt and a little white pepper, then letting it rest for at least half an hour so that the meat tenderizes. Patting it dry before the breading ensures that the salt does not repel the flour.   

What to Serve with Schnitzel 

For best results: serve schnitzel immediately after cooking in the hot oil, with only a brief rest to drain excess oil. A spritz of lemon juice just before serving adds a bright note to complement the rich, crispy cutlet.

History and Background of Wiener Schnitzel

Byzantine Beginnings

The origins of schnitzel can be traced back to the Byzantine Empire. Legend has it that Emperor Basileios I (867-886 AD) had a penchant for food coated in gold leaf. To prevent bankruptcy, his clever chefs created a more affordable alternative: breaded cutlets fried in oil to mimic the golden sheen. This ingenious culinary innovation would go on to influence cuisines across Europe and beyond.

Mediterranean Meanderings

From Byzantium, the concept of breaded and fried cutlets spread across the Mediterranean. The dish’s popularity grew thanks to the strong Byzantine ties with Northern Italy and the movement of Arab soldiers and traders who brought the breading method to Southern Spain. This culinary exchange laid the foundation for various regional interpretations of the dish.

Italian Influence

In Northern Italy, particularly in Milan, the dish evolved into “Cotoletta alla Milanese,” a breaded veal chop that remains popular today. This Milanese specialty would play a crucial role in the development of what we now know as schnitzel. When Milan became part of the Austrian Empire in the early 19th century, this dish made its way to Vienna, setting the stage for a culinary revolution.

The Birth of Wiener Schnitzel

In Vienna, the dish was refined and christened “Wiener Schnitzel.” It quickly became a staple of Viennese cuisine, traditionally made with veal and served with a side of potato salad or cucumber salad. The Viennese elevated the dish to an art form, perfecting the technique of creating a light, crispy coating while keeping the meat tender and juicy.

Wiener Schnitzel Goes Global

From Vienna, schnitzel traveled across the sprawling Austro-Hungarian empire and into Imperial Russia, gaining popularity wherever it went. It even survived the Russian Revolution, maintaining its status during the Soviet era as “отбивная” (otbivnaya), a beaten or pounded cutlet.

In the 20th century, schnitzel continued its global journey. It became a beloved dish in Israel, where it’s often made with turkey and spiced with za’atar. In America, descendants of Middle and Eastern European immigrants enjoy schnitzel in sandwiches, while in the Soviet Union, Chicken Kiev emerged as a popular variation stuffed with garlicky butter

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