Schweineschnitzel Breaded Pork Cutlets with Gravy

This is a go-to German recipe that is very popular where I live in eastern Wisconsin. Our community is primarily German and Polish. I’m not going to take a deep dive in the history of Schnitzel due to its popularity; there are literally thousands of recipes documenting this dish on the internet. The breading technique can be used for a variety of recipes and is the basis of South Texas Chicken-Fried Steak. You’ll need a large 12-inch skillet (cast-iron works best), and a combination of butter and rendered pork fat to fry the cutlets. The gravy recipe featured here is verbatim from a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant in my home town. A family friend (thank you T.R.) who worked there was nice enough to part with it. Her recipe was for a large volume of gravy, so I have scaled it back and made a couple adjustments. It’s very close to the original, if I do say so myself. Take care not to scorch the breading. The cutlets, when pounded flat, will cook quickly so watch them closely. A classic Wisconsin favorite — Enjoy! INGREDIENTS: 6-8 boneless pork loin cutlets, trimmed of fat (Look for ones that are no more than 1/2″ thick) Adolf’s® meat tenderizer 2 tbs. rendered bacon fat 2 tbs. butter 3 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup flour* 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. coarse-ground black pepper 1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs For the Gravy:1/2 stick salted butter *2 heaping tbs. flour (reserved from the dredge noted above) 1/4 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. celery salt 1/2 tsp. ground celery seed 2 tsp. pork boullion 1/2 tsp. granulated onion 1 tbs. Kitchen Bouquet®, to taste 2 cups boiling water (use more if needed) Salt, to taste DIRECTIONS: Preheat your oven to 200° F. Trim the pork cutlets of fat and pound flat with a meat mallet. (Use a sheet of Saran Wrap or butcher paper to cover them so you don’t make a mess.) Ideally, they should be about 3/8″ thick. Generously sprinkle each side of the cutlets with meat tenderizer and set aside. Prepare three shallow dishes with the following separate ingredients: 1. Flour, salt and black pepper 2. Three beaten eggs 3. Bread crumbs Place the cutlets in the flour mixture, then the eggs, and finally evenly coat with the bread crumbs. Preheat your skillet over medium heat and add 2 tbs. butter and 2 tbs. rendered bacon fat. Cook the cutlets about three minutes per side, turning once until the coating is a deep golden brown. This will ensure your gravy has a lot of flavor. DO NOT crowd the pan. You will need to cook these 3 or 4 at a time depending on the size of your skillet. Remove and place on a wire baking rack in your oven. Add more butter and bacon fat if necessary for frying. Next, prepare the gravy by reducing the heat on your skillet to low. Add the 1/2 stick of butter and allow it to melt, scraping up the fond from the bottom with a spatula. Add the reserved flour and stir constantly to form a roux, about 5-7 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and 2 cups boiling water, stirring constantly. Increase the heat to a simmer and add the Kitchen Bouquet®. Stir and reduce to thicken. Correct the seasoning if needed with salt. Serve the cutlets immediately with the gravy and mashed or baked potatoes. Traditionally, this dish is served with lemon slices and fresh cucumber salad. Serves 4 Note: Baked potatoes should be prepared before frying the schnitzel. Scrub each in cold water, leaving the skins on, pierce with a fork and bake at 400° F. unwrapped for 1.5 hours on the center oven rack. Drop the heat to 200° before you put the pork cutlets in the oven.