Schnitzel

Wiener schnitzel

Wiener schnitzel (from German, meaning Viennese cutlet) is a traditional Viennese dish, consisting of a thin slice of veal coated in breadcrumbs and fried. The dish may have originated in Milan, northern Italy, as cotoletta alla milanese, and may have appeared in Vienna during the 15th or 16th century. According to another theory, it was introduced by Field Marshal Radetzky, who spent much of his life in Milan, in 1857. The term "Wiener Schnitzel" itself dates to at least 1862.

Schnitzel in Austria and Germany

A schnitzel sandwich

Schnitzel platter with sausage, Rippchen, potatoes and Sauerkraut.

The German Schnitzel parallels the English cutlet: they are diminutive forms of the respective terms for cut. Note that the diminutive suffix in Schnitzel is a South German form; the North German equivalent would result in Schnittchen which is the German term for an "open-face" sandwich. In addition, there is a German term Kotelett(e) which is a cognate of cutlet; while a Schnitzel is generally cut from the hindquarters (rump/round), a Kotelett is from the chuck or forerib; the former is usually pork, beef, or veal, while the latter is almost exclusively pork. — Wiener schnitzel is traditionally prepared from a thinly-sliced piece of veal, which is further tenderized by pounding with a meat mallet and then successively dipped into wheat flour, eggs and breadcrumbs before being fried in clarified butter or lard. Sometimes the breadcrumbs are seasoned with freshly ground black pepper. It is now more often made with thin pork escalopes (as in the Italian dish scaloppine al limone).

Traditionally, Wiener schnitzel is served with potato salad and a slice of lemon. Roast potatoes, French fries (chips), rice, and cranberry sauce are all optional but considered bad cooking etiquette by purists.

It was originally a festive dish, and in the 17th and 18th centuries gold dust was sometimes mixed into the breadcrumbs to provide an extra golden, luxurious colour. It has since become one of the most popular meals among Austrians and is enjoyed at all kinds of occasions, with several Austrian fast food chains serving mostly schnitzels.

Many restaurants offer cheaper schnitzels made from pork, and variants made of turkey have become popular more recently, but Austrian restaurant regulations require that Schweinsschnitzel (pork schnitzel) or Putenschnitzel (turkey schnitzel) be indicated on the menu if no veal is used. Another alternative is Schnitzel Wiener Art (pork schnitzel Vienna style).

Schnitzel elsewhere

Australia

In Australia, schnitzel (often pronounced snitzel) has become a common form of pub grub, usually made from beef or chicken rather than veal, and commonly served with gravy and chips or as parmigiana topped with tomato salsa, cheese, and sometimes bacon.

Brazil

Due to the strong influence of Italian culture in Brazil, wiener schnitzels are known as filé à milanesa (Milanese steak). It is found easily on street restaurants and often cooked at most homes. Servings often include white rice, salted brown beans, French fries or mashed potatoes, lettuce and tomato salad. Milanesa sandwiches are also common, and so is the parmigiana version -filé à milanesa with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese.

Czech Republic

Schnitzel is also highly popular in the Czech Republic where it is known as a řízek and is made of pork or chicken. It is often served with boiled or mashed potatoes.

England

In the Teesside area of England, the Parmo is a popular take out meal. Made from flattened, breadcrumbed pork or chicken rather than veal, it is topped with béchamel sauce, grated cheese and then grilled.

Schnitzel is often referred to as escalope in the UK, particularly when made with chicken.

Hungary

Due to the strong Austrian influence of the Austria-Hungary era, Wiener schnitzel is very popular in Hungary, known as rántotthús or bécsi szelet. Most restaurants offer the Cordon bleu variant.

Italy

In Italy cotoletta alla milanese is very similar to Wiener schnitzel but older and is possibly the origin of the Austrian dish. Originally from Milan, it can now be found all over Italy. The official recipe is made with veal, but chicken, turkey and pork are more common in domestic kitchens.

Iran

Chicken-breast schnitzel is popular in Iran where it is known as shenitsel (Persian: شنیتسل). Thought to have been introduced in Persia during the World Wars, shenitsel is usually thicker, bigger, spicier, and fried with a more crispy breading than the standard Wiener schnitzel. It is customarily served with lemon, French fries and a variety of boiled vegetables.

There is another Iranian dish called kotlet which should not be confused with shenitsel. Kotlets in turn are small oval-shaped patties made by deep-frying a mix of ground meat, onion, potato and herbs.

Israel

Israeli Schnitzel

Schnitzel (שניצל) or ktita (כתיתה) is a very popular food in Israeli cuisine. Schnitzel was brought to Israel by the way of Ashkenazi Jews coming from Europe. It is either made of a bread crumb and egg batter or spiced with paprika and then fried. The meat is often either chicken or turkey, in conformance with kosher laws, which do not allow pork to be used. It is usually served with French fries or rice, and ketchup or hummus are common condiments. Schnitzel in pita is a popular fusion dish unique to Israeli cuisine, and is often called the national dish. Many Israelis were of Viennese or German origin, but during the early years of the state, veal was unobtainable, and turkey proved an inexpensive and tasty substitute. Schnitzel is also a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish recipe and considered part of Jewish cuisine. 'Tiv'ol' was the first food company to produce a meat-like vegetarian schnitzel.

Poland

Polish kotlet schabowy is similar, but lighter than the traditional Austrian dish.

Portugal

In Portugal a similar dish is made called bife panado.

Romania

Romanian şniţel is very common in restaurants, fast food places, and homes across the country. Normally served simple and unadorned, the fast food version is differentiated by being served sandwich/burger style. Cordon bleu şniţel is also very popular. The Romanian şniţel is made in the same manner as the Austrian one, but as a local characteristic is made of almost any type of meat (chicken, pork, veal or beef). A specialty from Western Romania is the mosaic şniţel made of two thin meat layers (usually each layer of different meat) and a vegetable (usually mushroom) filling.

South Africa

Schnitzels are also popular in South Africa, due to the European heritage in the country. Chicken schnitzels and Cordon Bleu schnitzels are a common item on most restaurant menus, and in recent years beef and pork schnitzels have also become widely available.

Sweden

Unlike in Austria, schnitzel is served with gravy in Sweden.

United States

The precise origins of Chicken Fried Steak are unclear but many sources attribute its development to German and Austrian immigrants to Texas in the nineteenth century. The German preparation, of course, is different but the similarities are obvious. Chicken fried steak (also known as country fried steak) is a piece of beef steak (tenderized cubed steak) coated with seasoned flour and pan fried. It is associated with Southern U.S. cuisine and hospitality. Its name is likely due to the dish's similar preparation as with fried chicken, and chicken fried steak is also similar to basic versions of the classic Austrian dish Wiener Schnitzel, a tenderized veal cutlet, coated with breadcrumbs and fried.

Other types

A cordon bleu schnitzel

Other variants of the schnitzel, not all necessarily made with a breadcrumb crust, include:

• Cordon bleu: "Blue ribbon", (possibly from Le Cordon Bleu, more likely though as an association with excellence, see blue ribbon), two slices of Wiener schnitzel (or one with a pocket) filled with cheese and a slice of ham.
• Valdostana: Very similar to the cordon bleu, but cheese and ham are not inside but on the top. This plate is from an alpine region in Italy, the Val d'Aosta, which is very close to France, where cordon bleu is from.
• Jägerschnitzel: "Hunter's schnitzel", served with dark mushroom sauce. (Jägerschnitzel may also refer to an eastern German variant made of Jagdwurst which originated in the GDR.)
• Zigeunerschnitzel: "Gypsy schnitzel", served with a tomato sauce containing bell pepper and onion slices.
• Rahmschnitzel: "Cream schnitzel", served with a sauce based on cream, often contains mushrooms.
• Hamburger Schnitzel: "Hamburg-style schnitzel", topped with a fried egg.
• Holsteiner Schnitzel: "Holstein-style schnitzel"; breaded; topped with a fried egg, anchovies, capers, and lemon slices.
• Naturschnitzel: "Natural (i.e. unbreaded) schnitzel"; not breaded; sautéed; served with a simple sauce (e.g., pan drippings, to which sour cream may be added) or none at all.
• Chicken schnitzel: Made of chicken, usually a cheaper alternative to others. Considered the poor man's schnitzel.
• Turkey schnitzel: Made of fillet of turkey breast, very popular in Israel, often called the national dish.
• Vegetarian schnitzel: Made of textured soy, tofu or seitan. The seasoning is in both the flavor of the meat as well as the breading so the consistency may differ slightly and the complete flavor obviously does not resemble that of real meat preparations.

Trivia

• In The Sound of Music, the song "My Favorite Things" has a second verse that includes the lines, "Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles".
• In Hoodwinked, the woodsman drives a truck selling schnitzel-on-a-stick.
• The dish is also featured in the song "Karate Schnitzel" by Tenacious D on their self-titled album Tenacious D.
• The dish is often used by comedian Conan O'Brien when parodying Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Disney Channel actor Corbin Bleu was named after the dish by his mother.
• A main character in Chowder (TV Series) is called Schnitzel. A recurring theme is that all the names are also foods.

See also

• Parmo, a dish invented on Teesside, England
• Wienerschnitzel, an American fast-food hot dog chain which does not serve schnitzel despite its name.
• Tonkatsu, Japanese style schnitzel made from pork.
• Milanesa, Breaded meat preparation similar to schnitzel, seen in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America
• Cotoletta the Italian equivalent to schnitzel
• Austrian cuisine
• Chicken fried steak
• Parmigiana
• Chicken Kiev

References

• This article draws heavily on the corresponding article in the German-language Wikipedia, accessed December 2004.

External links

• Bernhard Baumgartner (2005-10-20). "A Wiener Schnitzel is a Wiener Schnitzel". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Recipes

• Steve Kramer (2007-2-20). "The Wiener Schnitzel step by step instructions". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Bernhard Baumgartner (2005-11-24). "Bernhard's Wiener Schnitzel". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Recipe with photo from Austrian cooks
• Recipe for Wiener Schnitzel Wiener Schnitzel for Dummies - Austrian foodwriter residing in London gives a tutorial on what the real Wiener Schnitzel is all about
• Wiener Schnitzel and other recipes from Austria
• Template:En iconTemplate:De iconWiener Schnitzel recipe
• Cooking Wiener Schnitzel in San Francisco - Instructional Cooking Video
• Information on Wiener Küche or Viennese Cuisine