Pork Schnitzel with Fennel & Celery Root Salad
Perfectly Puffed
People call all sorts of fried items “Schnitzel.” I’m here to say that it doesn’t really matter. Wienerschnitzel in Austria is typically made from veal. Now depending on where you live this is very difficult to get. But the difficulty of this dish isn’t the ingredients like lard to fry in or meat to cook with. It’s how to get the perfect puff.
Austrian Wienerschnitzel and Mcdonald’s McNuggets are the only two times I’ve seen the puff perfected. Meat perfectly incased in a layer of breading forming a cavernous separation between the two. This separation is a desirable steam pocket that cooks the meat with it’s own juices rather than directly with the oil. I explain how to achieve this puff in the recipe. It’s not difficult but it is particular.
A schnitzel is only as good as it’s salad. Testing the limits of my love for anise in this one. I wanted to find kohlrabi but ended up getting celery root. It has a mild celery flavor and amplified with citrus. The fennel and mint could be overpowering to some, but when you season and dress ahead of time, you remove some of the bitterness in the ingredients and their sweetness is now at the forefront. Paired with plenty of fresh squeezed lemon juice and capers, I can’t think of a better was to pop off with the first days of Spring.
Necessaries
Meat mallet with a flat side or heavy frying pan
Very sharp knife
High-walled skillet or dutch oven
Mandoline
Brush
Zip lock bags
Serves 4
Ingredients
for the schnitzel
4~ 4oz boneless pork loin chops. About 1” thick.
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 cup flour
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
3 whole eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying
for the salad
1 celery root, peeled and cut into very thin strips
1 medium fennel bulb, cored, and sliced very thin on a mandoline
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 tbsp apple cider vin
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
toppings & garnish
Capers
Lemon wedge
Recipe
For the salad, combine fennel, celery root, mint, lemon juice, EVOO, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.
Preheat your oil to 350 and set up your breading station.
I like to use large pie plates for my breading station.
Do not beat your eggs too much, leaving a few steaks of egg white allows for a fluffier puff.
For the breadcrumbs, if using store-bought I would run the breadcrumbs through a food processor. The finer the breadcrumb the better for this dish.
Butterfly your pork chops but placing your hand on top and with a very sharp knife, gently start cutting through the midway up the chop but do not cut all the way through, leave one side uncut so you can unfold. Place chop in a zip lock back with the edges trimmed off. Pound the chop to even out the thickness with either a meat mallet (flat side) or a skillet. Don’t get it too thin. No more than 1/4” thickness. Also don’t cut yourself. Once all of your chops are pounded, season with salt and pepper and lightly brush with Dijon.
Bread the pork chops in flour, coating completely. Then egg, making sure all the flour is coated with the egg, and then in breadcrumbs.
Important
In order to get a puffed schnitzel shell, do not press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Rather, lay the pork in the breadcrumbs and then cover it with them, gently patting and making sure all areas are covered. If you press too hard the schnitzel will not puff.
Fry the schnitzel in the oil and immediately swirl and shake the oil. Doing this continuously exposes the schnitzel to fresh hot oil and creates the puffing effect. Be careful and do not splash yourself. Use a high walled skillet or dutch oven. It doesn’t have to be a vigorous swirl, just enough to agitate.
After 2-3 minutes your schnitzel should be done. You’re looking for a golden brown crust and of course…a puffy breading shell!! It is very thin so careful not to overcook.
Remove and let drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels. Serve with salad and garnish with capers and plenty of fresh squeezed lemon juice! Enjoy.