It is hard to believe that I have never made pork schnitzel before considering it is the precursor of my all-time favorite meal, chicken fried steak. Texas lore says that the chicken fried steak was a progression of Austrian and German recipes that used primarily veal, and pork, instead, using beef that was more readily available. I loved this dish when we visited Germany, so you would think that I would have attempted to make this recipe years ago. Once I decided I was making pork schnitzel, I decided I would go all out and make an entirely German meal.

I had a blast preparing this meal with my husband and son. This is one of those meals that works well to have each person work on a particular dish. We served the schnitzel with three traditional German side dishes, two of which I also had never made before this meal. The sides were German mashed potatoes, which included Granny Smith Apples (more on that later), cucumber and dill salad, and green beans. What is interesting about this combination is that growing up my favorite meal was chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, cucumber salad, and purple hull peas, so I feel like this is the German version of that meal.

Schweineschnitzel (Pork Schnitzel) Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of boneless pork chops
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp garlic salt
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• Lemon wedges (These are a must and should be cut before you start cooking the pork)
• Olive or canola oil for sauteing the pork chops

Instructions:

Trim pork chops of fat. I cut my pork chops from pork loin. You will want them to be a little less than ½ inch thick. Line a cutting board with plastic wrap, place the pork chops on the layer of plastic wrap, and then cover the pork chops with another layer of plastic wrap. Please note that I also place a piece of parchment paper on the cutting board before laying down the first layer of plastic wrap. I find this makes cleaning up even easier. Use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound the pork chops to ¼ or ⅛ inch thickness to create your cutlets.

Place the flour, garlic salt, paprika, and black pepper in a bowl and whisk ingredients together.

Place the eggs in another bowl and whisk together.

Place the panko breadcrumbs in a third bowl.

Dredge both sides of each cutler in the flour, then dip in the beaten eggs. Let the excess egg dip off the meat before breading it with the panko.  Do not pack down the breadcrumbs on the cutlets, just lightly coat them. Bread all the cutlets.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is heated, add the breaded cutlets to the pan. Make sure that they are well spaced for even cooking. Saute the cutlets 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through, which is an internal temperature 145 degrees Fahrenheit.  You will need to adjust the temperature if the cutlets are browning too quickly. Place the cooked cutlets on a paper towel lined plate.

Serve the cutlets with lemon wedges and enjoy.

Additional notes on this recipe:

We will definitely make this recipe again but will make a few adjustments more suited to the Texas pallet.

Next time, I will add more garlic salt, paprika, salt, and pepper to the flour layer. I love a ton of pepper on my food.

Cucumber and Dill Salad (This dish needs to be made at least 4 hours before serving.)

Ingredients:

• 2 English cucumbers
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp fresh dill
• 1 tsp salt
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Peel the cucumbers and thinly slice using a mandolin. You will want them to be paper thin. Place them in a large bowl that has a lid.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the slices and toss until combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. The water from the cucumbers will make the sauce thinner.

Additional notes on this recipe:

I love dill, so I would add additional dill to this recipe.

The water in the cucumbers, generates a great deal of fluid during the 4 hour refrigeration process, so you will want to use a slotted spoon or place it in a small salad bowl.

German Style Mashed Potatoes

When searching for German mashed potato recipes I discovered that they include Granny Smith apples, and I immediately thought no thank you. When I was talking to my husband about making this German meal, I told him that I thought I would make traditional American mashed potatoes instead of the German version, but he convinced me to give the recipe a try. I hate to say this, but he was right.  I LOVED THEM. I would even like them without the bacon, but the bacon is wonderful with the other flavors. This dish has an amazing flavor profile that works perfectly with pork. You must try this dish even if you do not make schnitzel. Serve it with ham or pork chops.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds of red potatoes, peeled and cubed.
• 1 large Granny Smith apple
• 4 pieces of bacon
• 2 medium onions diced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat: cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the apple and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the potatoes and apples are tender when pierced by a fork.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel to drain. I used kitchen shears to cut the bacon up after it was cooked. Reserve enough of the bacon drippings to sauté the onions until lightly browned.

Drain the water from the potato and apple mixture. Add sugar, vinegar, salt, and mash with a potato masher. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with the onions and bacon and serve.

Closing Thoughts

I feel that my Opa (German for grandfather), would have been proud to eat the meal that we prepared. I hope that you and your family or friends enjoy these recipes as much as we did. Additionally, my husband wanted to know where the German dessert was, so if you have a traditional German dessert recipe, please share it with me.

Guten Tag, Good Day!