Authentic Wiener Schnitzel Recipe
Servings: 4 cutlets
Ingredients
- 4 small veal cutlets top round cut
- 1/2 cup flour 60g
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs 130g
- salt
- 3-4 cups clarified butter or vegetable oil
- lemon wedges/slices to serve
- lingonberry jam or thick cranberry sauce to serve, optional
Instructions
- Place your veal cutlets on a large chopping board, place a thick plastic bag on top and pound into very thin cutlets. Start pounding from the center towards the edges of the cutlet. It should be really thin, about 2/16-3/16 of an inch (3-4mm).
- Prepare your dredging station: add flour to a large plate, beat the eggs in a large rimmed plate (don't beat it very thoroughly), then add the breadcrumbs to a third large plate.
- Season your cutlets on both sides with salt, then dredge in flour, shake off excess flour, dip in eggs (allow excess to drip off), then coat in breadcrumbs. Repeat this for all cutlets. Place on a large plate/tray.
- Heat the clarified butter in a large frying pan. You should have at least 1 inch (3 cm) of oil in your pan. The cutlet should be able to 'swim' freely in the fat. The clarified butter should be hot enough - you can check the temperature of the oil with a thermomether, it should be about 350°F (180°C) or you can just throw a couple of breadcrumbs into the oil - if they're foaming vigorously, it means the butter is hot enough.
- Place the Schnitzel in the pan, laying it away from your body. Cook the cutlet on both sides until golden brown in color (about 1-2 minutes per side, it should not take more than 5 minutes). Shake gently with the pan and move with the cutlet using kitchen tongs while you're frying it - it will give it its hallmark waved surface.
- Transfer the cutlets to a plate lined with kitchen towels to drain excess fat. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
- Serve with lemon wedges/slices and lingonberry jam. Drizzle some lemon juice over the Schnitzel.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- The ingredient amounts are only estimates - they can vary significantly depending on the size of the cutlets.
- I really recommend using clarified butter for frying these cutlets, the flavor is so much better in comparison to vegetable oil. Do not use regular butter.
- Even if you have smaller cutlets, they will be quite large after pounding them. If you have medium/large cutlets, you can divide them in half or into 4 parts - they will be easier to bread and fry at home. In Viennese restaurants, you will usually get a really large Schnitzel (in the size of a plate), but it's harder to bread and fry such large cutlets at home.
- Coating the cutlets in breadcrumbs: for an authentic Schnitzel, coat the cutlets in breadcrumbs without pressing them into the cutlet. This will result in a coating that is light and puffed - it will detach from the meat in some places. This is an authentic way to do it. I actually prefer a thicker coating that adheres well to the meat so when I make my Schnitzel at home, I always press the breadcrumbs well. Test for yourself what you prefer more.
- Use fine breadcrumbs, not Panko.
- Pork Schnitzel - you can make this recipe using pork tenderloin cutlets or pork neck meat.
If using chicken or turkey I would recommend you use this recipe for breaded chicken cutlets. - If using pork, you can make thicker cutlets, about 1/4 inch (6mm) thick. If using chicken or turkey, they can be even thicker.
- I would recommend purchasing veal cutlets from a butcher but if you'd like to cut your own from a whole top round cut (a piece of meat from the rear leg), here's how to do it: with a very sharp knife (important) make a "butterfly cut" - this means you need to make one cut against the grain but not all the way through then make a second cut all the way through. Open up the cutlet like a book and make a shallow cut in the middle to help it open (do not cut all the way through). Now you have a large cutlet that is ready to be flattened. You can check the photos in the body of the post for reference. This video can also be helpful.
- Calories = 1 small/medium-sized cutlet (1/4 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
Nutrition
Calories: 649kcal