Pork Schnitzel Recipe
This Pork Schnitzel recipe is coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried until golden brown and served with lemon for the perfect weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 4 4-6 ounce boneless pork chops or steaks
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- zest of ½ lemon
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- oil and ghee for frying
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a pork chop or steak in between two pieces of plastic wrap or in a plastic bag and gently pound it using a mallet or saucepot until it is ¼” thick. Repeat until all the pork has been pounded out.
- In a shallow, wide bowl, mix the flour with the salt and pepper and set it aside.
- Using a separate shallow wide bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until combined and set aside.
- In another shallow, wide bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the salt and pepper and set it aside.
- Using your left hand, dredge 1 pounded-out pork chop or steak in the flour, ensuring it is completely covered.
- Remove any excess flour and then add it to the egg wash bowl, and using your other hand, move it around until it is coated in the mixture.
- Shake off any excess egg wash and place it next to the breadcrumbs, and going back to your other hand, shake the pan to cover the pork completely while pressing the crumbs in to ensure they are coating it.
- Place it on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and repeat the process until all the pork is breaded.
- Heat the oil and ghee over medium to low heat in a large non-stick frying pan until it reaches 350°.
- Add 1 to 2 breaded pork cutlets to the hot oil. Make sure they are not overlapping and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.
- Flip the pork over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. You can baste the pork with the hot oil once you’ve flipped it to help further brown it.
- Remove the pork and set it on a rack over a sheet tray to drain any excess oil.
- Repeat the process until all the pork has been cooked, and then serve with lemon wedges and optional minced parsley. Try serving it with a creamy mushroom sauce to make it JägerSchnitzel and with a side of classic German Red Cabbage.
Notes
Make-Ahead – This is meant to be eaten as soon as it’s done cooking. However, you can keep them warm on a rack over a sheet tray in the oven at low temperatures (180° to 200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze the pork covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating. Freezing the schnitzel may cause some of the breading to come off.
How to Reheat: Add the pork schnitzel to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cook it in the oven at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until hot.
You can also purchase bone-in pork chops or steaks, but ensure it’s removed before pounding.
Try serving it with a simple pomodoro sauce to turn this schnitzel into Zigeunerschnitzel.
I think pork steaks offer more flavor in this recipe. However, if you can get pork chops that are closer to the shoulder blade, they will have more flavor than regular center-cut chops.
After pounding it out, the pork should be no thicker than ½” thick.
I like to use cake or pie tins for the breading steps.
The combination of flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs is known as the “standard breading procedure.”
You will have up to 30 minutes to fry the schnitzel once they’ve been breaded.
Any material pan will work for this.
Remember, the pork is thin, and it will cook much quicker than you think. If you cook too long, you can burn the breadcrumbs and overcook the pork.
I roughly added 2 teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper to each breading stage.
Nutrition
Calories: 431kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 24gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 457mgPotassium: 376mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 296IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 4mg