How to Make German Schnitzel (Schweine-Schnitzel)

How to make classic German Schnitzel. This recipe has breaded pork cutlets topped with a rich, decadent gravy. This is heaven on a platter. The schnitzel can also be made with chicken cutlets instead of pork.

When we lived in Germany, I simply loved having schnitzel when we went to any gasthaus. Traditionally schnitzel is made from veal, but you can also find many pork variations. This is my absolute favorite schnitzel to make. The gravy is rich and creamy, and the schnitzel is crispy and tender.

I dreamed about it last night.

Seriously.

And moose.

And my Oma.

To begin, take a pork loin roast and cut it into half inch thick slices.

Note: This recipe could also be made with chicken cutlets.

Place a couple slices in a gallon sized zip-lock bag, and give them a bash with the bottom of a heavy skillet. The cutlets should be about 1/4 inch thick.
Before…

And after.

Repeat that with all of your cutlets.
Now you’ll need three shallow dishes. In the first dish, place a cup or so of flour, in the second, beat three eggs.

… and in the third, you’ll need some dry bread crumbs. My bread crumbs are semi-dry. I took about 5 slices of bread, toasted them, let them cool, ripped them in a couple pieces, and pulverized them in my food processor. Tadaa!!! Instant fresh “dry” bread crumbs. You will also need some salt and pepper. Set these all up in an area like a “dipping station.”

Salt & pepper a cutlet

Dredge it in the flour.

Dip it in the egg and coat it.

Then dip it into the bread crumbs, pressing lightly so they stick well.

Set it on a plate and prepare a couple more the same way.

In a skillet, heat a tablespoon each of butter and extra virgin olive oil.

You want your skillet to be well heated, but not smoking hot. Place however many cutlets will fit comfortably in your skillet.

Cook them about 3 minutes on each side, until beautiful and golden, and place them in a dish to keep warm in your oven. Set your oven to its lowest temperature if it doesn’t have a “warm” setting.

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While the cutlets cook, prepare your next skillet-full of cutlets so they are ready to go. Add more butter & oil as needed. Repeat until all of the cutlets are cooked.

The next part only takes a few minutes, so go ahead and turn off your oven. The cutlets will still be warm and you don’t want them to dry out.

Dice up 6 or 7 slices of bacon and finely dice a third cup of onion.

Note: If you are using turkey bacon, you will want to add a tablespoon or so of bacon or duck fat to cook these in if you find that you need additional fat in your skillet.

In the same skillet that you cooked the pork in, saute the bacon and onion together until the onions are tender and the bacon is just browned.

Stir in a tablespoon and a half of flour.

Let that cook a minute over medium heat and get a little bubbly.

Whisk in a cup of vegetable broth.

Along with 1 1/2 cup of half & half, a teaspoon of thyme, and a tablespoon of parsley.

Let that come to a gentle boil, whisking continually. As soon as it begins to boil, it will be a tad thickened, and it is done!

Serve the schnitzel with noodles, topped with your amazing gravy. I used spaetzle, but any egg noodle will do.

Enjoy!

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Note: I no longer eat pork, however I am leaving recipes like this one up for those who enjoy it. Many pork recipes can be easily converted to turkey or chicken recipes, with little or even no other changes. Recipes with bacon or sausage can use alternatives like beef or turkey bacon. Many of those recipes are being updated with the changes. Article: Why I Quit Eating Pork