Wiener Schnitzel

“Wiener Schnitzel” is trademarked and protected by Austrian laws which require that a dish can be called “schnitzel” only if it is made of veal.

Many believe that Schnitzel originates from the capital of Austria – Vienna, but there are some disagreements between Austrian and Italian culinary experts and historians.

According to the historical data, two separate branches of the royal Hapsburg family are claiming to be the originators of the schnitzel, or its Italian counterpart – the Cotoletta Milanese. The Italian side is adamant that the dish was first served as part of the menu for a banquet held back in 1134 at the St.Ambrigio Cathedral in Milan.

Other historians and culinary enthusiasts claim that the famous dish was actually first introduced by the ancient Romans who according to the historical data found were the first to start tenderizing meat by pounding it and also the first to roll it in breading and fry it. This data can be found in the oldest existing cookbook written by Apicus dated from the 1st century.
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Regardless of the originality of this dish, Schnitzel in various forms is well known all over the world and is one of the most favorite dishes.
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The Schnitzel on the picture is in grain-free breading and I served it with Korean sweet potato salad.

Ingredients

½ cup Cassava flour
½ cup hulled hempseeds or sesame seeds
1 tsp sea salt
2 pastured or omega 3 eggs
2 boneless veal chops (for only schnitzel not wiener you can use boneless pork or chicken)
Avocado oil

Directions

Wash the meat under running water and dry with a paper towel.
Make a few cuts on the sides of the meat with the knife.
With a hand meat tenderizer pound it very thin, no more than 1/4 inch thick. This step is important because you’ll need to fry it at high heat for a short period of time to get that perfect crispy crust without leaving the middle of the meat raw.
Sprinkle the meat with a little bit of salt on both sides.
Next, dip each meat chop into a whisked egg and then into the “breadcrumbs” mix (cassava flour, hempseeds, and salt). Don’t press the “breadcrumbs” mix into the meat, just softly coat the meat on both sides and all edges, and then gently shake off any excess.
The next key is to immediately fry the Schnitzels. Don’t let them sit in coated or the end result won’t be as crispy. You don’t need a ton of oil, but you need enough so that the Schnitzels can “swim”.
The final key is to make sure the oil is hot enough – but not too hot. It should be around 330ºF. If it’s too hot, the crust will burn before the meat is done. If it isn’t hot enough, you’ll end up with a soggy coating. When the oil is hot enough it will actually penetrate the coating less and you’ll end up with a crispy “dry” coating instead of an overly oily one. The result will be a beautifully crispy coating with a tender and juicy interior, and that’s exactly what we want.
Remove the Schnitzels from the frying pan and place them briefly on a plate lined with paper towels. Transfer them to serving plates and serve immediately.

Serving suggestion is potato salad made from Korean sweet potatoes.