Wiener schnitzel (/ˈviːnərˈʃnɪtsəl/VEE-nərSHNIT-səl;German:Wiener Schnitzel[ˈviːnɐˈʃnɪtsl̩]ⓘ, 'Viennese cutlet'), sometimes spelledWienerschnitzel, is a type ofschnitzel made of a thin,breaded, pan-friedveal cutlet.
It is one of the best known specialities ofViennese cuisine, and one of the national dishes of Austria.[1][2][3]
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The designationWiener Schnitzel first appeared in the 19th century, with the first known mention in acookbook from 1831.[4] In the popular southern German cookbook byKatharina Prato, it was mentioned aseingebröselte Kalbsschnitzchen (roughly, "breaded veal cutlets").[5]
According to a tale, Field MarshalJoseph Radetzky von Radetz brought the recipe fromItaly to Vienna in 1857. In 2007,linguistHeinz-Dieter Pohl could prove that this story had been invented.[6] According to Pohl, the dish is first mentioned in connection with Radetzky in 1869 in an Italian gastronomy book (Guida gastronomica d'Italia), which was published in German in 1871 asItalien tafelt, and it is claimed that the story instead concerned thecotoletta alla milanese. Before this time, the story was unknown inAustria. The Radetzky legend is however based on this book, which claims that a Count Attems, anadjutant to the emperorFranz Joseph I of Austria gave a notice from Radetzky about the situation inLombardy and mentioned a tasty veal steak in a margin note. After Radetzky had returned, the emperor personally requested the recipe from him.[5]
Pohl relates this anecdote with the words: "This story is scientifically meaningless, it does not cite any sources and it is not mentioned […] in the literature about Radetzky. No such Count Attems appears in any biographical work about the Austrian monarchy, which would have corresponded to this time and position."[5]
Pohl doubts that Wiener schnitzel came from Italy at all, with the basis that in the other "imported dishes" inAustrian cuisine, the original concept is mentioned, even if in Germanised form, such as ingoulash orpalatschinke, and the schnitzel does not appear even in specialised cookbooks aboutItalian cuisine.[7]
Pohl hints that there had been other dishes in Austrian cuisine before the Schnitzel that were breaded and deep-fried, such as theBackhendl, first mentioned in a cookbook from 1719. The Schnitzel was then mentioned in the 19th century asWiener Schnitzel analogically to theBackhendl.[5]
In 1887,E. F. Knight wrote of a Wiener schnitzel ordered in aRotterdam cafe, "as far as I could make out, the lowest layer of a Wienerschnitzel consists of juicy veal steaks and slices of lemon peel; the next layer is composed of sardines; then come sliced gherkins, capers, and diverse mysteries; a delicate sauce flavours the whole, and the result is a gastronomic dream."[8]
The dish is prepared from butterfly-cut veal slices, about 4 mm (3⁄16 in) in thickness and lightly pounded flat, slightly salted, and rolled in flour, whipped eggs, and bread crumbs. The bread crumbs must not be pressed into the meat, so that they stay dry and can be "souffléd", enabling the breading to separate from the meat, giving the Schnitzel its characteristic light and puffy texture. Finally the Schnitzel is fried inlard orclarified butter at a temperature of 160–170 °C (320–340 °F) until it is golden yellow. The Schnitzel must swim in the fat or it will not cook evenly: the fat cools too much and intrudes into the bread crumbs, moistening them. During the frying the Schnitzel is repeatedly slightly tossed around the pan. Also during the frying, fat can be scooped from the pan with a spoon and poured onto the meat.[10]
The dish was traditionally served in Austria withbutterhead lettuce tossed with a sweetenedvinaigrette dressing, optionally with chopped chives or onions,potato salad, cucumber salad, or parsley potatoes. In recent times french fries have become common.[11]
In the early 20th century, the garnish consisted of capers andanchovies.[12]
A popular variation is made withpork instead of veal, because pork is cheaper than veal (usually about half the price). To avoid confusion, Austrian law requires thatWiener Schnitzel be made of veal.[13] A schnitzel made of pork can be calledWiener Schnitzel vom Schwein[13][14] ('Wiener schnitzel from pork') orSchnitzel Wiener Art ('Viennese style schnitzel').
Similar dishes to Wiener schnitzel includeSurschnitzel (fromcured meat), and breaded turkey or chicken steaks. Similarly prepared dishes includecotoletta alla milanese,schnitzel cordon bleu filled withham andcheese,[15] andPariser Schnitzel. The Americanchicken-fried steak is often said to be closely related to Wiener schnitzel, the result of the adaptation of the recipe by German or Austrian immigrants to theTexas Hill Country to locally available ingredients.[16]
Tonkatsu is a similar fried pork cutlet fromJapanese cuisine, thicker than its European counterparts.
In theSouthern Cone, particularly inArgentina andUruguay, a similar dish ismilanesa. It is often served with french fries or mashed potatoes.
InIsrael, schnitzel is popular, first introduced by European Jews who immigrated to Israel during the middle decades of the twentieth century. Owing to food shortages at that time and the high cost of meat and veal, and due tokashrut laws that forbid eating pork, the local version was made of chicken breast, which was less expensive. Israeli schnitzel is still made of chicken.[17] Kashrut laws alsoforbid using dairy products with meat, so kosher schnitzel is prepared withcooking oil. Schnitzel has become so common that it is regularly described as one of Israel's "national dishes."[18][19]
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