Schnitzel, the porky kind, but works equally well with beef, if you’re a traditionalist, is a pretty easy throw together kind of meal, ideally you’ll be getting the crumbing done an hour or so before cooking so it has a chance to set in the fridge. And don’t be afraid of the oil, yes this is shallow fried, yes fried foods are not every day foods, but it’s not really all that bad for you.
We had this golden crunchy schnitzel with a fresh salad, tomatoes and herbs (and herb flowers, thyme flowers are awesome) straight from the garden and heart of celery leaves torn up, red onion a vinaigrette of cider vinegar, garlic and olive oil bought it all together, I like a bit of acid kick with fried foods. Not pictured but essential in my opinion is a good schmear of hot english mustard, there is something about crumbed meat and that hot nasal clearing condiment that works oh so well.
Stage one, preparing your meat.
- Get three bowls and a sheet pan ready, also clear a shelf in your fridge.
- Bowl one, add about a cup of wholemeal flour, a good pinch of fine salt, white pepper and sumac, mix together.
- Bowl two, beat 2 eggs with a pinch of salt until homogeneous.
- Bowl three, add enough breadcrumbs, I prefer panko.
Place the schnitzel in the bowl of flour and toss, ensure the meat is completely coated. Shake off any excess.
Transfer the floured meat to the egg bowl and coat, don’t leave any dry spots.
One at a time, take the meat from the egg mixture, shake off any excess liquid and lay on top of the bread crumbs, press down, flip and press down again, make sure there is an even coating, transfer to the sheet pan and repeat with the remaining meat.
Place the sheet pan in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Stage two, cooking your meat.
Set up your cook area, place a rack near by to drain the cooked schnitzel and put a pan on a medium high heat, I use a 12 inch cast iron skillet to cook with. Pour in about an inch of oil into the pan, rice bran is a good inexpensive neutral oil to use (much better than canola), heat the oil to 190ºC, you can test with a cube of bread by placing it in and seeing if it fries up golden brown, it shouldn’t take long to heat up.
Carefully place one or two pieces (depending on size) of schnitzel in the pan, laying away from you to avoid splashes, and cook for 90 seconds per side, when cooked transfer to the rack to drain, repeat with the remaining schnitzel.
