John Myers
The classic Wiener Schnitzel is made from veal topside. It is considered the highest quality schnitzel meat but is also correspondingly expensive. Low-cost alternatives for the kitchen classic are pork – you use this for our Munich schnitzel with mustard, among other things – chicken and turkey. Another decisive factor when choosing is which part of the animal the schnitzel comes from. High-quality meat does not need to be pounded before roasting. This is only necessary if it is a tough cut so that it becomes more tender by breaking the protein structure.
The best veal escalope is cut from the topside. The muscle strand from the inside of the club is particularly tender and at the same time low in fat. The veal nut or ball is also of high quality. The meat is similarly tender but smaller than the piece from the top shell. Cheaper schnitzel meat is taken from the hip, but it is very juicy because of the fine veins of fat. For our Wiener Schnitzel recipe, use the saddle of veal again. Shoulder meat, on the other hand, becomes tough very quickly when roasted and is unsuitable. For our Parisian schnitzel recipe with a fine egg breading, we recommend removing the veal schnitzel from the top shell. This meat is also ideal for preparing our veal escalope recipes with a fine cheese sauce.
Particularly juicy schnitzel can be prepared from pork if it comes from the hip. It is traversed by fine veins of fat. But the meat from the leg is also well suited for preparing even cutlets. However, such ham cutlets dry out faster when frying.
Chicken or turkey schnitzels are prepared from breast meat. Of the two alternatives, chicken is a little more tender. With turkey, it is important that the meat is cut across its grain. Without the skin, both types of meat are very low in fat. With poultry, it should be considered that the roasting time is shorter than with pork or veal. If the schnitzel is fried for too long, it will become dry.
For frying, heat the fat over medium-high heat. Before the escalopes land in the pan with enough space between them, you can use a wooden skewer to test whether the fat is hot enough: as soon as the skewer is held in the fat, it should bubble slightly. A schnitzel cut about a centimeter thick is fried for two minutes on each side without being moved. Thicker cutlets take significantly longer. When the breading is golden brown, remove the pan from the flame and allow the meat to continue cooking for about five minutes.
