It's not every day that you get into a debate of what cut of meat to use to make Pork Schnitzel and boy oh boy was I in for a treat. Growing up my nonna always used a pork fillet which is that long piece of meat. It used to be quite cheap, along with pork ribs oh yummy! I love a good old pork rib pasta sauce where the meat falls of the bone.
I'm not sure of others call it a Pork Fillet but that's what it is labelled as in Australia. There are two ways of making the Schnitzel, one being the amateur way where you chop it in half. Slice it straight down the centre.
Open it up somewhat like a butterfly and then hit it with a meat tenderiser/mallet or if you don't have one laying around a wooden rolling pin will do which is what I used.
You then end up with a piece of meat like this which you can start filleting thinly. Now there is much debate about the thickness of a Schnitzel and to be honest I like mine thin. I find they are alot more palletable and come out alot better. They also cook quicker and easier providing a lovely crispy golden outside and a cooked interior. Sometimes I find that the thicker the meat the longer you need to cook it for and then you end up with either burned bread crumbs on the outside or still raw on the inside.
Despite showing you the method above which is the quicker and easier way, its not the right way and leads to uneven cuts of meat and hard to get it even. What I do, to the amazement of my wife is roll put the piece of pork with small slices.
Now, this is a solid fillet, you need to cut it around the outside maintaining the right thickness.
It gets even more challenging as the meat isn't often the same thickness so you end up with a triangle rolled out infront of you. It takes abit of time but if done well and proper you end up with a beautifully thin piece of pork.
Don't worry if you miss parts it will most likely happen as you come across parts of fat and tendons. So you may end up with a few gaps in it. But once you're completed you should end up with something that looks a little like that. A lovely thin even piece of meat. You're also not going to crumb the entire piece as is because it will be too large.
With the broken parts or the gaps from the fat I have used them as the cutting point to make smaller Schnitzels. I used two fillets which made quite alot. Enough for 3 adults, a four year old, a one year old and plenty left over for work lunches.
A quick crumb by dipping into flour, egg an then crumbs. I don't put much in these crumbs just salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
A quick fry either side until the bread crumbs are golden brown and not burned either side and you're ready to eat! A slice of lemon to squize ontop of the Schnitzels adds a lovely flavour and it's a meal the whole family can enjoy!.
I did want to ask, what types of pork cuts do you use to make Schnitzel because apparently my mother inlaw had never seen this method and my wife had no idea I could do this.
It has been a long time since I have made these but I still remembered the method with great ease.
Let me know in the comments section below.