Iām sure Iāve mentioned it before (most likely in the goulash post) ā my family hails from Austria. My grandparents fled Europe after World War 2 and emigrated to Australia with their children (my parents). My cousins and I are the first generation born in Australia, and as such we all grew up eating a lot of traditional Austrian cuisine.
Here is the current version of the family schnitzel. It is no longer 100% āauthenticā however I believe the changes and adaptions over the years are improvements. Also it is typically made with pork or veal, however these days Iām using tofu, mushroom, eggplant, or a cauliflower steak. I havenāt yet tried pressing a schnitzel together out of rehydrated TVP, but maybe Iāll give that a go soon. Iām interested if anyone has any other ideas for non-meats to try!
This recipe includes ingredients and instructions that allow for meat-based, vegetarian (using eggs), or vegan preparations. Over the years I have made and enjoyed them all.
People often seem to be intimidated by the thought of making schnitzels, but it really is quite easy! Please donāt be worried about the length of this post/recipe, I tend to write recipes more verbosely than most and Iām also including variations here.
Schnitzel
Prep Time: about 30 minutes
Cook Time: about 20 minutes
Total Time: just short of an hour
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Meat / Protein:
2 large skinless chicken breasts
or
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
or
4 pork butterfly steaks (these are just cut from pork sirloin, you could do that yourself also)
or
1 head of cauliflower
or
2 blocks of firm tofu
or
4 large, flat mushrooms (eg portobello)
Crumb:
plain flour
3 large eggs
1.5 tsp dijon mustard
cayenne pepper
panko crumbs
1/2 - 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped parsely (fresh or dried)
Wet batter (if not using egg wash):
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 - 3/4 cup plant based milk (I usually have oat)
Extra stuff:
salt
cracked pepper
garlic powder
lemon pepper
sumac (optional)
canola or vegetable oil
butter (optional)
Directions
Meat / protein prep:
If using chicken breast: Cut chicken breast approximately in half by length, so you have a smaller thin end cut off and the bulk of the thick end as the larger piece. Butterfly large pieces, you can leave them butterflied but I usually cut them all the way through to make more, smaller schnitzels.
If using thighs: Trim off any large bits of fat that might still be there, but don't worry about needing to trim every little bit off. Leaving some fat on the meat is fine, it will render/melt when cooking and help stop it from drying out anyway. If the pieces are large you can cut them in half.
If using pork butterfly steak: Halve steaks through the join in the middle so you have two medallions from each, then butterfly medallions.
Pound out meat to an even thickness of approx 1cm - 1.5cm.
If using cauliflower: Slice lengthwise through the core to create 4 cauliflower steaks.
If using tofu: Youāll get the best result from freezing and thawing the tofu beforehand. Actually, double-freezing is the best: freeze, thaw, freeze again, then thaw before using here. You can do all of this still in the container, you donāt need to pierce and drain it first. Once thawed, if you like you can also press the tofu but I'm not entirely sold on this step myself. Slice the blocks through the thin dimension into three even thickness slices each.
If using mushrooms: Just give them a good wash or scrub with wet paper towel to remove any dirt. If the stalk is long, chop it to be flush with the cap or just break it off.
Season your protein of choice with salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and a little bit of garlic powder. About half of the time I will also use some sumac. On tofu you'll want to be a bit more generous with the seasoning.
Crumbs prep:
Arrange 3 large bowls or containers. Anything with a flat bottom is preferable. Baking trays, plastic tubs, large flat bowls, anything of that sort.
Add flour to the first container. You won't need a huge amount, maybe 1 cup? I never measure this, I just pour it in.
If using eggs: Crack eggs in to second container. Add dijon mustard, sprinkle in one or two shakes of cayenne pepper. Mix everything together with a fork until combined.
If not using eggs: Add the wet batter ingredients to the second container. You want this to be fairly thin, as it is not a frying batter but rather the middle layer here, replicating the function of the egg wash which sticks to the flour on one side and the crumbs stick to it on the other. Similar to the egg wash, add a few shakes of cayenne pepper and mix everything until well combined.
Add panko crumbs, parmesan, parsley to third container. Youāll need a fair bit of crumbs, maybe 3 cups? I never measure this either, but they get used surprisingly fast. Add a few good grinds of cracked pepper, and approx 1tbsp of garlic powder. Mix everything together with your hands. Thereās a lot of room for improvisation here, and the parmesan is totally optional if you are not using dairy. You can add onion powder or other seasonings, and other herbs to the crumbs if you like.
Assembly:
I like to use a wooden skewer to transfer pieces between containers to help avoid getting a whole bunch of stuff all over my fingers. You can go for the āwet hand / dry handā technique if you like, but a skewer or even just a fork makes it quick and easy to work through.
One piece at a time, put your protein in flour bowl and pat down to ensure an even covering of flour on all sides. Shake off excess flour.
Transfer to egg wash or wet batter, flip over and ensure an even covering. Pick up and hold vertical over bowl to allow excess egg/batter to drain off.
Transfer to crumbs, shake and pat down to ensure even coating of crumbs all around. Set aside on a plate or platter.
Cooking:
Add oil to pan or skillet to give approx 1cm covering. If youāre using butter, you can put a little bit less oil in and chuck a knob of butter to melt in also. If youāre feeling decadent you can use only butter and not bother with the oil at all (traditionally in Austria they are done in either butter or schmaltz, which is rendered goose fat). Heat on medium until the oil starts to slightly shimmer. Take a tiny pinch of crumbs from one of the schnitzels and drop in the pan, if it starts bubbling right away then the oil is ready.
Working in batches, place 1 or 2 schnitzels in pan (depending on what fits, you donāt really need to worry about overcrowding but you need to make sure each piece sits flat and isnāt riding up the walls of the pan) and cook until crumbs have turned golden brown, probably approximately 4-5 minutes. Turn, cook until other side is golden - this side will likely cook faster, check around 3 mins. Lift above pan to let excess oil drip off, transfer to a plate or tray lined with paper towel or a resting rack if you have one.
Serve with a green salad, and a lemon wedge to squeeze some lemon juice over the schnitzel. I also like rice with schnitzel, but you can do chips, or veggies, or a potato salad, whatever you feel like as sides really. They're also great with some Japanese curry, or even a gravy.
Notes
The traditional/authentic breadcrumb to use is not panko, but rather a very fine, unseasoned crumb. This results in the whole crumb layer forming a much more homogeneous surface, which then usually lifts off the protein entirely creating almost a balloon of breadcrumbs. I much prefer the taste and texture of using panko crumbs, and adding seasonings to them.
Leftover schnitzels will keep well in the fridge for a few days. I can't tell you for how long because I always eat them long before there is any threat of them expiring in the fridge. They can be reheated in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes, turning them every minute or soā¦ or just eat them cold or make a sandwich from them.
One option I go for while seasoning my protein sometimes is to make a baste or marinade out of miso paste. Iāll put a spoon of miso in a small bowl, sometimes also a small amount of gochujang if Iām feeling like I want something spicy, and then add oil and stir until it makes a thin paste/marinade. I'll brush that over everything before dipping in the flour.
Hereās a pic I have of some prepared tofu, before cooking
