Salt and freshly ground pepper, just use a bit if using seasoned bread crumbs
2largeeggs
2Tablespoonswater
2cupsdried plain or seasoned breadcrumbs, plus more as needed.
1/2 - 1teaspoonsseasoning salt, omit if using seasoned bread crumbs
Vegetable, canola, peanut or sunflower oil, for shallow frying.
Lemon slices, for serving
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Trim the pork of any fat along the edge and using the tip of a knife, cut about three 1/4-inch slits along the edge where you trimmed the fat. Pound each piece of pork with a meat pounder/hammer until it is VERY thin - almost, but not quite to the point that it will tear and fall apart. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut small nicks every 2-inches around the outside edge. Set aside.
Set up a breading station with 3 shallow plates (large enough to lay a piece of your pork flat). Add the flour to the first plate, spreading it into an even layer. Season with some salt and freshly ground pepper. On the second plate, use a fork to whisk together the eggs and water. Scatter the breadcrumbs on the 3rd plate and add the seasoning salt. Stir to mix in well. To bread your pork: first press the pork into the flour, flouring both sides and shaking off any excess. Next lay the floured pork into the egg mixture and swirl it around a bit. Flip over and do the same on the other side. Lift and let excess egg drip off back onto the plate. Finally, lay the pork onto the plate with the breadcrumbs. Use your fingers or a spoon to move some of the breadcrumbs onto the top of the pork. Press down gently so that the underside gets nicely coated in crumbs, then flip over and press down again. Make sure you have an even layer of crumbs covering the entire piece of pork on both sides. If there are bare spots, sprinkle breadcrumbs over that area and press down onto the meat with the palm of your hand.
Place the breaded pork onto a cooking rack set on top of a baking sheet. Repeat with each piece of pork, placing onto the cooling rack without overlapping at all. Place the baking sheet/cooling rack with the breaded pork into the fridge, UNCOVERED, for one hour.
When it has been almost an hour, start heating your oil. Add oil to a heavy-bottomed, high-sided skillet to about 1/4-inch (or about 1/2 the height of your breaded pork). Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Test by taking a few crumbs from the pork and dropping them into the oil. They should immediately sizzle and quickly float to the top.
Add 1-2 pieces of pork to the hot oil. Don't crowd the pan or overlap them. The schnitzel should lay flat and have a nice bit of space between. Allow to cook for about a minute, then use tongs to regularly check the progress of browning on the underside. You may need to adjust your heat down if they seem to be browning too quickly or up a notch if they aren't browning quickly enough. It should take about 3 minutes per side with the right temperature of oil and the proper thinness of the schnitzel. Once the underside is a deep golden brown, flip and brown the other side. Remove to a cooling rack with a piece of paper towel under it to catch drops (not directly under the meat, under the cooling rack). Repeat with remaining pork pieces. *If making lots and you want to keep them warm, place on a baking sheet in a 200F oven to keep warm and crispy.
Serve with lemon slices or try lingonberry jam (my favourite!).
Notes
Be sure to read the notes above this recipe card, where I share more detailedtips, variations and substitution suggestions for this recipe!