Traditional Wiener Schnitzel or Viennese Cutlet Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a Wiener Schnitzel traditionally made of? ›

Traditionally, a Wiener Schnitzel is a cutlet of veal pounded thin by a meat tenderizer, then dipped in flour, egg and breadcrumbs (in that order), and fried until golden. Wiener means “Viennese” in German, but the concept behind the Wiener Schnitzel likely first appeared elsewhere (I've read in Milan, Italy).

When it says Wiener Schnitzel on the menu, it refers to a veal escalope that is fried out in clarified butter. Before breading, the meat is carefully pounded, seasoned and moistened, then dredged in flour, egg and finally breadcrumbs.

Schnitzel enthusiasts agree: A good schnitzel, Viennese, Figlmüller or Milanese style must not only be accurately sliced but also flattened and tenderized. The flattening process should slightly stretch the meat fiber but not destroy it so that a juicy, tender result with a uniform thickness is achieved.

Basically, all schnitzels are breaded and fried thin pieces of meat, but only wiener schnitzel is made with veal. Cooking term: Schnitzel is a cooking term used to describe any meat pounded thin, then breaded and fried. Key ingredient: Schnitzel is made with pork, chicken, beef, or veal.

Wiener schnitzel can only be made with veal. Schweineschnitzel uses pork and is traditionally made with pork chops in Germany (in the U.S., pork tenderloin is common). Schnitzel made with chicken breasts is called hähnchenschnitzel, and it's also a favorite in Israel.

A traditional wiener schnitzel is made using a veal cutlet, pounded flat until it's 4mm thick. Other versions of schnitzel use pork, chicken or even plant-based ingredients such as seitan, but these can't rightly be described as 'wiener' ('Viennese').

United States

Chicken fried steak, also called country fried steak, is nearly identical to schnitzel. It is a breaded and deep fried beef steak.

The Schnitzel is cooked after it turns golden yellow or brown. The dish was traditionally served in Austria covered in a mushroom or mustard based sauce, with butterhead lettuce tossed with a sweetened vinaigrette dressing, optionally with chopped chives or onions, potato salad, cucumber salad, or parsley potatoes.

The absolutely best way to perfect schnitzel is to shallow-fry them in neutral-tasting cooking oil (Vegetable, Canola, Peanut, Sunflower). So you don't need to use a lot of oil, but you want to use enough oil so that the schnitzel will “float” in the oil as it cooks and not touch the bottom of the pan.

If you have larger pieces of breadcrumbs, they can burn easily. I would also recommend using grapeseed oil for searing because it has a high smoke point and we want to make sure the breading doesn't burn. Once you flip the schnitzel, you can add a tablespoon of butter to finish and give it that extra flavor!

Why do Jews eat schnitzel? ›

By the beginning of the 20th Century, central European immigrants had brought schnitzel to Israel. This dish was ideally suited to the culinary necessities of the period in Israel. At a time when few people owned ovens in their homes, these thin cutlets could be easily prepared over an open flame.

Schnitzel is not typically highly seasoned, relying instead on bold toppings such as fresh lemon wedges, mushroom sauce, or cream sauce to add a boost of flavor.

The costs for the investment of separate transport, slaughtering, butchering and distribution to the shops are relatively high.

Because of course a Wienerschnitzel isn't a kind of hot dog — Wiener doesn't mean “hot dog;” it means “from Vienna” — it's a thin, breaded, fried cutlet traditionally made from veal.

Cotoletta alla milanese ([milaˈneːze] after its place of origin, Milan) is a fried veal breaded cutlet similar to Wiener schnitzel, but cooked with the bone in. It is traditionally fried in clarified butter.

The dish's name actually comes from the German word schnitt, which translates to "cut." The most popular type of meat for schnitzel is veal (wiener-schnitzel) or pork (schweine-schnitzel), but you also see varieties made with chicken (hänchen-schnitzel), or turkey (puten-schnitzel).

Wiener schnitzel is a popular Viennese dish made of veal and traditionally garnished with a slice of lemon and either potato salad or potatoes with parsley and butter. In Austria and Germany, Wiener Schnitzel must be made of veal.

Cotoletta alla milanese ([milaˈneːze] after its place of origin, Milan) is a fried veal breaded cutlet similar to Wiener schnitzel, but cooked with the bone in. It is traditionally fried in clarified butter.

The two most popular types of schnitzel are the German schweineschnitzel, usually made from pork, and the Austrian wiener schnitzel, which is always made from veal.