Breaded Pork Cutlets
Schweineschnitzel
(Serves 6)

6 boneless pork cutlets
1/2 C flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs (beaten)
2 T milk
1 C fine breadcrumbs
3-4 T oil
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Gravy
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C heavy cream
pinch or 2 of dried dill weed

Cutlets: with a mallet or the flat blade of a heavy chef’s knife, pound cutlets to 1/8" thickness. In a brown paper bag, combine next 5 ingredients. Add pork cutlets and shake, coating with seasoned flour. Shake off excess. Combine eggs and milk. Dip cutlets in egg/milk mixture, then in breadcrumbs. Allow cutlets to rest on a plate for 15 minutes: this helps crust adhere during frying. 

Frying: in a large skillet, heat oil till it shimmers. Add cutlets, in batches, and brown 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove cutlets and keep warm in a low oven.

Gravy: pour lemon juice and chicken broth into skillet, scrape up residue ("fond") from pan bottom, and bring to a boil to reduce liquid slightly.  Turn down heat before adding cream and dill, stirring constantly. Continue to heat (careful not to boil) till sauce thickens. Arrange cutlets on a platter and spoon sauce over them. Garnish with wedges of lemon and serve with boiled potatoes.

Tips & Glossary: German


Beets: how to peel and cook beets is a matter of personal preference. You can cut off the tops, peel them with a vegetable peeler and boil them. Another method: leave on about 1" of the tops, wrap them in foil, and bake for 1 hour in a 350 oven. Cool and use rubber gloves, or handle with a paper towel, to prevent hands from turning...well, beet-red. The skins will slip right off. Most cooks say baking- then-peeling is the tastiest way to cook beets.

Ginger:  dried ground ginger is far more potent than freshly-grated from the root.  Sweet dessert recipes call for ground powder. If you wish to use freshly grated ginger, use 6 times the amount of ground called for in the recipe. 

Nutmeg:  Use small whole nuts and store them, tightly covered, in a dry dark area.  Grate what you need using the smallest grating edge or grind in a food processor.  What a difference from store bought ground nutmeg!

Wurst: German sausages— more types than you can shake a stick at. Here are several:
• Bockwurst: smoked; with veal, chives & parsley.
• Bratwurst: pale; with veal, pork, ginger & nutmeg.
• Knockwurst: short & plump, smoked; with pork, beef & garlic.
• Weisswurst: "white"; with veal, pork, cream & eggs.
• Wienerwurst: with beef, pork, coriander & garlic.
• Frankfurter: smoked; with lean pork & bacon fat.