Pork Schnitzel (à la Wiener Schitzel)

Pork Schnitzel

Schnitzel is probably the most liked meat dish amongst our family and friends. I cannot count the times we sat around the table enjoying the Schnitzel with  cheesy potatoes, or scalopped potatoes and a green salad in a cream dill sauce  and/or cucumber salad as well. It is tasty quick to make and once you take care of a few important little details, it is a meal fit or a king or your family and friends.
With other  words: if it is done well it is absolutely delicious, if it is done badly, it is simply horrible. 

This is why I have decided to accompany the method steps with photos, so that you can compare it with what you are doing.
PS The real thing is of course Wiener Schnitzel, which is made exactly like the following recipe, except  the real Wiener Schnitzel has to be made with veal.

The ingredients are simple.

Ingredients

1 or 2 (depending on size and hunger) of pork centre loin chops

1 or 2 beaten eggs ( the qantity depends on the above)

approx 250 gr fresh breadcrumbs ( gives the best result, but you can use commercial breadcrumbs if fresh ones are not at hand)

salt and pepper to taste

enough Rapeseed or Sunflower oil to cover the frying pan very well, better a little more than less.

Method

1. Trim the pork chop and cut off any fatty pieces. Then with a meat tenderizer flatten the chop as much as possible

Left side: before beating                               right side after beating

2. Prepare the eggs and breadcrumbs in a large bowl or on a large plate. Beat the eggs, season  both with salt and pepper. I just use a pinch of salt and pepper for each.

breadcrumbs   and beaten eggs

3. Dip the escalope first in the egg mixture, make sure that both sides are coated well and then dip it into the breadcrumbs. Again, making sure that all the escalope is covered. Set aside and continue until you have all escalopes done. Should you run out of either breadcrumbs or egg mixture, just replenish. If you run out of egg and don't have another one, you can use a tablespoon or two of fresh cream and mix it around in the egg bowl. That will work.

ready for the frying pan

4. Put  enough oil in the frying pan so that the escalopes are sitting on a film of oil.

NOTE: Too little oil will make the breadcrumbs stick to the pan.

NOTE 2: Do not get tempted to deep fry the escalope, it just does not do the chop any justice and the breadcrumb cover will simply detach from the meat

sizzling at medium heat

5. Fry the chops at medium heat from both sides until they are golden brown.

Careful, if the oil is too hot, the breadcrumbs will burn too quickly and the meat will not be cooked.

just about right! 

You can serve the escalopes with just about any sides you like.
I mostly serve it with some kind of potatoe dish and some salads. The family facvourite one is green salad in a cream dill sauce and or cucumber salad.

Quick sauce for the green salad

Make the normal  vinaigrette ( 3 oil to 1 vinegar, salt and pepper to taste)

To this you add a couple of table spoons of fresh cream,
1 crushed garlic
1 tsp of sugar ( preferably unrefined)
1 tsp of dried dill or 1 Tbsp of fresh dill
you can add fresh chives and or parsley

Cucumber Salad

Thinly slice the cucumber ( some take the skin off, some leave it on, it depends on what you like), then use the vinaigrette recipe plus the the cream, sugar, dill and chives.
Leave out the garlic.
Cucumber Salad always tastes better when it has had time to absorb all the flavours, so making it at least half an hour before serving is advisable.

Re Sides

Should you not be a total potato lover, the Savoury Rice  ( recipe 9 April )would be a perfect side dish accompanied by a salad made out of cabbage and peppers (recipe will follow)