Let’s be honest. Schnitzel isn’t the prettiest of foods. But delicious, oh yes. That juicy meat, that golden crunchy crumb…
“Ugly-delicious sums it up perfectly,” says John O’Kane, the owner of the wonderfully well-named food truck, which serves up three kinds of schnitty several nights a week in Sydney.
“I love schnitzel, it's a tender, juicy bit of meat with crispy crumbs,” says O’Kane, who launched the business in mid-2016 after he and his then-pregnant wife had found it hard to get a good late-night schnitzel.
“She was craving schnitzel... and we couldn't find a decent schnitzel after nine o'clock. It was around the time when the city of Sydney was starting its food truck program, and so I started doing schnitzel.”
Since then, he estimates he’s made more than 25,000 schnitzels, all hand-made. His takes include Jaegar Schnitzel, slathered in mushroom sauce (#uglydelicious, if you like mushrooms), the striking namesake Wholly Schnit, which tops the schnitzel with mashed potato and mushy peas, and a schnit burger.
So where does O’Kane stand on one of the questions most likely to stir up debate among schnitty lovers - is bigger better?
“Absolutely. My schnitzels hang out the box. My full meals are too big for the box, and that's how I wanted them. I purposely have them so they hang out the box and people are like 'what is inside this box?',” he says. (He does cater for those who can’t finish the full bursting-from-the box 250 g deal, offering a half-size and a tiny kid-sized one, too).
He’s got company on the bigger-is-better side of the size debate.
“Schnitzel should be bigger than the plate; that's the rule,” says Matty Matheson, who cooks up “big, giant, beautiful schnitzels” in It’s Suppertime (Available now via ). “I'm not gonna make some rinky-dink schnitzel, bro.”
Now, whether you want to make schnitzels the size of a plate or more everyday portions, schnitzel lovers all agree that there are some tips to making sure your meat will be perfectly cooked, and the crumb coating crisp and golden.
Here’s what you need to know.
The meat matters
“You can schnitzel anything, almost,” Matheson says, and that’s true. Austria is home to classic Wiener schnitzel, which uses veal (although as , the classic veal cutlet treatment came to Austria from Italy, where cololetta alla Milanese remains a favourite ); Polish schnitzels will most commonly be made with pork; you’ll find chicken and veal schnitzel in Hungary. Variations on this crumbed and fried theme are found , from Japan’s tonkatsu to the milanesa of Mexico.
What they all have in common is a thin slice of meat (or eggplant or tofu), coated in crumbs and fried. Possibly .
And whatever meat you use, the key is to use a thin, even piece.
Jamón-wrapped pork schnitzel (san jacobo) with roasted capsicum salsa. Source: Benito Martin
“Make sure the chicken's fresh, obviously, make sure it's fresh that day,” says O’Kane when we ask for his tips for a killer schnitty. “Make sure it's even, too. When you butterfly and tenderise it, make sure it's even so it cooks evenly. That way you can guarantee that it's going to be juicy everywhere and not undercooked in some places or overcooked in others.”
Thin, but not too thin.
“The reason you're making schnitzel thin, you don't want to burn your breading on the outside and have raw meat on the inside,” says Matheson.
After slicing the meat, the second step in a classic schnitzel is tenderising the meat. For tender chicken breasts, a light touch to even out the meat might be all you need.
Here’s a step-by-step demonstration of how to cut and cook perfect thin chicken schnitzels, from “the grandfather of Hungarian chefs in Australia”, Csaba Cserfalvi, from Hungarian Food Safari (take note of ‘the one hand for this, one hand for that’ tip to avoid crumb-coated fingers!)
Tougher cuts can make great schnitzel, too, though.
“A lot of people would use just pork loin, says Matheson. ”I want to use pork butt because there’s a lot of fat in there, a little more something to chew on. It's got a little more texture, a little more flavour.
“We're dealing with a tough tissue kind of meat and there are connective tissues. There are dense fats within this cut. Pulverising and tenderising it will allow it to break down and become soft, and become... a beautiful schnitzel.”
Just don’t go overboard. “It’ll screw up the schnitzel,” says Matheson. “You want a piece that's together, but still tenderised.”
An even coat
Whether you use eggs or not, it’s important to get an even coating on the piece of meat.
Make sure it is evenly floured, and then says Matheson, “You really gotta get in here with your schnitzel and use your hands” to make sure the breadcrumbs are evenly distributed all over the piece of meat.
You can ring the changes in the coating - like the walnuts and parmesan in the crumbing in .
Don’t overcook it
Walnut and parmesan crumbed schnitzel with red coleslaw Source: Benito Martin
Because the meat is so thin, it will cook quickly. “It only takes like a few minutes. Once the outside is nice and golden brown, take it out. It's gonna continue to keep cooking,” says Matheson.
Cserfalvi’s tip for frying was to use a heavy-bottomed pan to maintain heat during cooking. “A thin aluminium [pan] never works.”
And don’t forget to drain the cooked schnitzels on paper towel briefly before serving.
Cabbage on the side
A lot of schnitzels are served up with a side of slaw or sauerkraut. Many cultures believe that traditionally fermented foods such as sauerkraut, with live cultures, can help with digestion of a meal (not a bad thing with a rich dish like schnitzel, with all that deep-fried crunchy coating!); but even with a simple slaw, there’s something about the combination of cabbage and schnitzel that just works (give it a go with this recipe for ).
Potato rosti is the other classic side. Nothing like extra carb with your crumbed cutlet!
Source: Alan Benson
The final result - a good schnitzel "literally falls apart in your mouth", says Matheson (get the recipe for his plate-sized schnitzel ).
Watch Matty make schnitzel in It’s Suppertime:
Matty Matheson's big pork schnitzel. Source: SBS VICELAND / It's Suppertime
The whole series available to watch now via
