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Golden crispy breaded pork schnitzel cutlet with lemon wedges on white plate

Austrian Pork Schnitzel

Golden, crispy-coated pork cutlets pounded thin and shallow-fried to perfection in the classic Viennese style. The characteristic wavy coating lifts slightly from the tender meat, creating an irresistibly crunchy exterior that shatters with each bite. Serve with fresh lemon wedges for a timeless European dinner.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Austrian
Calories: 671
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Schnitzel
  • 600 g pork loin cut into 4 portions
  • 10 g fine sea salt
  • 4 g freshly ground black pepper
For the Breading Station
  • 100 g all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 180 g fine breadcrumbs not panko
For Frying
  • 150 ml vegetable oil
  • 40 g unsalted butter
For Serving
  • Lemon wedges

Method
 

Pound the Pork
  1. Place each pork portion between sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound each piece to an even 5mm thickness, working from the center outward to ensure uniform thinness throughout.
Set Up the Breading Station
  1. Combine the 100g flour with the salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Beat the 3 eggs thoroughly in a second shallow dish. Place the 180g breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish. Arrange the three dishes in a row for efficient assembly.
Bread the Cutlets
  1. Dredge each cutlet in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Dip completely in beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off. Press firmly into breadcrumbs on both sides, ensuring complete and even coverage with no bare spots.
Heat the Frying Fat
  1. Heat the 150ml vegetable oil and 40g butter together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. The oil is ready when the butter foams and a breadcrumb dropped in sizzles immediately.
Fry the Schnitzels
  1. Fry schnitzels one or two at a time (depending on pan size) for 2-3 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Do not crowd the pan or the temperature will drop.
Create the Wavy Coating
  1. During frying, gently swirl and tilt the pan to wash hot fat over the top of the schnitzel. This technique creates the characteristic wavy, lifted coating that distinguishes authentic Viennese schnitzel.
Drain and Serve
  1. Transfer fried schnitzels to paper towels to drain briefly. Serve immediately while hot and crispy with fresh lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the top.

Notes

  • Pounding the cutlets to 5mm thickness is essential—thicker meat won't cook through before the coating burns, while thinner meat becomes tough and dry
  • Fine breadcrumbs create the proper delicate texture; panko breadcrumbs are too coarse and create the wrong coating structure for authentic schnitzel
  • The combination of butter and oil is traditional—butter adds rich flavor while oil raises the smoke point to prevent burning during high-heat frying
  • The coating should lift slightly from the meat in waves when properly fried—this happens when the fat is hot enough and you swirl it over the schnitzel during cooking