Crispy Pork Schnitzel with Mixed Greens

I remember the first time I tried schnitzel. It was in Heidelberg, Germany, on a sunny day in May, 2001. I was studying abroad in Paris at the time, and was visiting a German friend for the weekend. Her parents took us to a lovely restaurant for lunch and I remember sitting outside on the terrace, eating a thin, crisply fried piece of veal served with a lemon wedge and a green salad. Her parents ordered a bottle of wonderful German white wine, and even though I was barely 21, I felt terribly grown up.

It was eight years before I tried schnitzel again. I was living in New York, and a colleague told me that her husband had just started a new food truck called Schnitzel & Things. Of course, I was intrigued. The memory of that golden fried cutlet had stuck with me all those years and I couldn't wait to try it again.

Once again, I was entranced. Only this time, instead of sitting on a sunny terrace, I stood outside a truck in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, and ate off a plastic plate. But it was so delicious I didn't care. I got to sample multiple types of schnitzel: pork, chicken, and cod, plus all sorts of delicious side dishes, like Austrian potato salad, cucumber salad, and red cabbage slaw. I loved Schnitzel & Things so much that I wrote about them for Tasting Table.



A couple years passed and I finally decided it was time to attempt my own schnitzel at home. How hard could it possibly be? You just pound some meat, dip it in egg, dip it in bread crumbs, and fry it. Easy, right? As it turns out, it is WAY easy. And tastes so incredibly good that it seems like you should have slaved away for hours. I've made it now a half dozen times or so, and have done a little experimentation to get the maximum flavor. I'm not a big veal fan in general, so I stick with pork, and thanks to a tip I read in Bon Appetit, I marinate the cutlets in red wine vinegar before frying them. I also use Panko – the larger, Japanese-style breadcrumbs – to give the schnitzel an extra crunch, and I add thyme and lemon zest for flavor.

Served with a lemon wedge and a simple green salad (and, if you really wanted to be authentic, a warm potato salad), this dish is simple, elegant, and unbelievably good. It's comfort food at it's best, preferably in the winter or spring. Plus, considering all the pounding required, it's a great stress reliever. So pour yourself a glass of Gruner Veltliner and get out that meat tenderizer. You'll feel like a new person in no time.

PORK SCHNITZEL WITH MIXED GREENS

Serves 4

2 (5-ounce) boneless pork chops
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 5 cups of mixed baby greens
Juice from 1/2 lemon
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges to serve

Using a sharp knife, cut each pork chop in half lengthwise. Place the four pieces of pork in Ziploc bag (or a bowl) and cover with the red wine vinegar. Seal the bag (or cover the bowl with plastic wrap) and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. (In a pinch, you can marinate it for 30 minutes).

Remove the pork from the red wine vinegar and pat dry with paper towels; discard the vinegar.

Place the pork slices between two sheets of plastic wrap of wax paper and gently pound to 1/4-inch thickness, using the flat side of a meat tenderizer.

Place the eggs in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the lemon zest and thyme leaves; season with salt and pepper.

One at a time, dip the pork cutlets in the egg, then dip into the bread crumb mixture. Place the breaded pork cutlets on a plate and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to let the crumb mixture adhere to the meat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Gently add two cutlets to the pan (be careful of the hot oil!!) and let cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove the cutlets to a paper-towel lined plate and finish cooking the remaining two cutlets.

Place the salad greens in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Taste the salad and feel free to add more lemon juice or olive oil, according to your tastes.)

SERVE the schnitzel hot, garnished with a lemon wedge and mixed greens. This is delicious with a blonde beer or a crisp Austrian white wine like a Pinot Gris or Gruner Veltliner.