Schnitzel is a crispy, skillet fried, golden slice of meat topped with a simple, tasty dill pickle salsa. Drizzled with mustard, this pork schnitzel recipe is so easy to make and so remarkably good.
Pork Schnitzel, when you are a girl from the Midwest, is known as fried pork tenderloin, and in good Midwest fashion it is served on a bun. Imagine if you will a giant thin slice of golden, crispy fried, tender meat covering an entire plate. This is then placed in a bun and by biting slowly around the edges of the fried pork tenderloin you arrive at the center and finally get a bite of bun topped tenderloin. This is what I remember from eating at Wally's Diner in Kankakee. There was also a pizza place on Station Street whose name escapes me, that used to deliver these delicious sandwiches wrapped in wax paper to our Cobb Park home when my parents were out for the evening.
What kind of meat is schnitzel made with?
Schnitzel actually is the German word for "slice" though schnitzel was thought to have originated in Austria. In Austria, wiener schnitzel is made from pounded veal. It is always breaded and fried in either oil or butter. It is not served on a bun! Schnitzel can also be made with turkey, chicken or beef. Japan's version of pork schnitzel is tonkatsu. In France, it is escalope. In Spanish countries, it is known as a milanesa. In Israel you usually find turkey or chicken schnitzel. And if you think about it...here in the USA, chicken fried steak might also be considered a type of schnitzel. Vegetarians might make schnitzel with eggplant. Schnitzel really has no boundaries.
What are side dishes to serve with schnitzel?
I couldn't help myself. I made some airfryer fries to go with our fried delight. However if you want a more German/Austrian experience I'd serve the pork schnitzel with mashed potatoes.
If you were in Japan, tonkatsu is served with rice. Here in the USA where pork schnitzel is known as fried pork tenderloin, fries would be the answer, though potato salad would be mighty fine.
Combining traditions, I also served a side of applesauce with our schnitzel, which seems very German to me, and I believe some purple sauteed cabbage would have worked, too!
Though it isn't a side dish, I just love this dill pickle salsa that sits on top of these golden slices of joy. You could just serve this pork schnitzel recipe with dill pickle slices or dill pickle relish on top, but now that I'm a Westerner I just had to have salsa.
Really folks, This is almost like a dill pickle relish with a chopped jalapeno mixed in. However the minced parsley adds a lot of freshness, too!
3 Steps to schnitzel:
1.Marinating the pounded meat not only tenderizes your schnitzel, it adds a lot of flavor. It also keeps your schnitzel from drying out when you fry it.
2. Pork schnitzel breading is so important. Without a golden crispy crust it just wouldn't be schnitzel. Feel free to use Saltines instead of Ritz, or just panko and dried breadcrumbs would work too. If you didn't have time to let this marinate too long, I would add some seasoning to the flour to give your schnitzel recipe more flavor. In fact, I would add some anyway. If you want Italian flavor or fried chicken flavor, just go for it!
3. Frying. This kind of goes without saying but frying properly is what gives the schnitzel its own special quality. Make sure to use the proper oil temperature. Too hot and the coating will burn, and too cold and your schnitzel will be soggy.
And that's it to get to schnitzel goodness! Manservant asked when I'd be making this again. Being from Texas he wasn't familiar with the fried pork tenderloin sandwich of my childhood.
However he quickly adapted and adeptly handled three large slices. Fried pork tenderloin sandwich was always one of my faves, but in Israel I was quite happy with chicken or turkey schnitzel so lovingly made for me by my close friend who didn't even eat it.
It always brought smiles to her 6 children and she could always count on mine for the 7th.
No doubt about it. Schnitzel is a huge slice of goodness!
Potato Salad. Did someone say potato salad?
Dad's Favorite Potato Salad
Old Bay Potato Salad
And As Usual, Please Pin and Share:
Recipe
Pork Schnitzel with Dill Pickle Salsa
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 Minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan Fry
- Cuisine: American
Description
Schnitzel is a crispy, skillet fried, golden slice of meat topped with a simple, tasty dill pickle salsa. Drizzled with mustard, this pork schnitzel recipe is so easy to make and so remarkably good.
Ingredients
1 to ¼ lb pork tenderloin (I used boneless, thin sliced pork tenderloin.)
2 c buttermilk or 2 T vinegar added to 2 c of milk
2 eggs, whisked
¼ pickle juice, from the jar
2 t kosher salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1 c flour
½ c panko crumbs
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
Oil, for frying
Buns, if you'd like
Mustard and pickles
Pickle Salsa
½ c minced onion
¼ c chopped parsley
1 minced jalapeno (seeded if you are worried about spice)
½ c chopped dill pickles (about 20 slices)
Instructions
Trim pork of excess fat or skin. Pound each slice between 2 pieces of plastic wrap until about ¼" thickness.
In a large zip lock bag, combine buttermilk, eggs, pickle juice, kosher salt and pepper. Add the pork and make sure it is fully submerged. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. I refrigerated mine for 24.
When ready to fry, take pork out of fridge and let come to room temperature before frying.
Combine Ritz cracker crumbs and panko on a plate. Place flour on another. Remove all pork slices from brine and let excess drain off. Dredge both sides of each pork slice in flour. Place back in buttermilk brine, then fully coat with cracker crumbs. Set on a rack placed over a shallow baking sheet to let dry. Try to fry as soon as possible so your breading will stay crispy.
Fill a large skillet with oil until it comes up to about 1" on sides. Heat over medium high heat until a thermometer registers 350 degrees.
Place each piece of pork in the skillet. I was able to fry three slices at a time without overcrowding. Do not crowd as the oil temperature drop and then your schnitzel will not be crispy. Fry about three minutes on each side until each side is golden and crispy. Place back on a clean rack and let drain over a baking sheet. Keep warm in a preheated 225 degree oven.
Place pork on buns or not. We ate ours drizzled with mustard and topped with pickle salsa.
Pickle Salsa
Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve over the pork schnitzel.
Notes
Slightly adapted from Food52.
Miriam says
Will this recipe work with chicken or turkey?
Billy says
Looks so delicious. I haven't had a good schnitzel in a long time. Cannot wait to make this at home! Loving that dill pickle salsa too!
Susan says
Just returned from a two week vacation and am trying to catch up with my blogging buddies so I'm a few posts behind! I've made pork tenderloin schnitzel before and we loved it! I am so intrigued by the dill pickle salsa that I need to make it again.
Gerlinde @ sunnycovechef says
I love any kind of Schnitzel , including this one.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Loving that dill pickle salsa. Just what it needs for a pop of freshness.
Juliana says
Oh, I remember the last time I had pork Schnitzel...Vienna...it was amazing, but I wished I had with your dill pickle salsa...what a great combination. Thanks for the recipe Abbe, I hope you are having a great week!
Pam says
I love schnitzel!!! When we lived in Germany, years ago we ate veal schnitzel often, if only I could find veal here. It did not have a really crisp crust like panko would give, just thin sliced veal, breaded and fried. Your pork version looks great and I will give it a try. The pickle salsa has to be great with it.
mimi rippee says
Well this is fascinating! I've never made schnitzel. When I had it in Germany I wasn't too impressed. Sometimes the authentic or traditional foods are pretty boring to me. But a dill pickle salsa?!!! Wowza!!!
Abbe Odenwalder says
There is good schnitzel and bad schnitzel. If it's dried out and has no flavor, it is bad schnitzel. But this one is marinated in pickle brine and buttermilk which makes it juicy and flavorful. Dangerous stuff, IMO! And yes the salsa works great on this!
KalynsKitchen says
That looks so delicious, and I'm intrigued that it's marinated in buttermilk! Also love the idea of dill pickle salsa. Thanks for the shout out for my salad!
Abbe Odenwalder says
And don't forget the pickle juice. I love that rather than beating another egg to dip in, I can use the marinade!Almost like soaking for fried chicken...which this would also be perfect for!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
Pinning! I'd love to try this just for that dill pickle salsa. And I'd also like to try the Old Bay Potato Salad! Yummy food Abbe.
Abbe Odenwalder says
Thanks Lea Ann. The potato salad is really good, too!
Eha says
Tho' I come from Down Under my birth country was Estonia which meant a very early introduction to every kind of schnitzel made 🙂 ! Having medicine and nutrition in my professional background I usually make 'Naturschnitzel' , ie, without the breading, with sweet-sour cabbage ad wholemeal noodles on the plate . . .think your dill pickle recipe just great !! Pickled cucumbers have always been part of my life . . .
Abbe Odenwalder says
Thanks for the visit Eha. You do have the perfect background for this recipe. How do you cook it without the breading? Do you saute it?
Eha says
Well, Europeans will never live without butter 🙂 ! So the predominantly pork or veal schnitzels are gently and quickly fried, sometimes having been lightly floured the first side down. Usually a very small amount of stock is added a moment or two before serving and other ingredients like mustard may also be added at that stage. Properly cooked it is moist and naturally the meat flavour is predominant rather than the crumbs/
Abbe Odenwalder says
See and this is how we would cook chicken picatta or veal scaloppine. similar but without breading!
angiesrecipes says
o my ..Abbe, that golden brown crisp crust has me seriously drool!
2 sisters recipes says
This sounds delicious even though I never had a pork schnitzel.. but I ‘ll take the dill pickle salsa anyday!
Thanks
John / Kitchen Riffs says
I've never met a schnitzel I didn't like. Love 'em all! And agree chicken fried steak is basically a schnitzel. Anyway, pork might be the best of the bunch. That dill pickle salsa looks sensational! Perfect with the schnitzel. Unless the cook eats it all while the meat is cooking. 🙂
Holly says
I love all the variations you described and would love to try an eggplant schnitzel.