Schnitzel

Schnitzel is a thin cutlet of meat, breaded and fried until golden. The classic — Wiener Schnitzel — is made with veal; Austrian food rules define it as a breaded veal cutlet, though the dish is cooked far beyond Austria. The pork version, an everyday staple of German menus, is a different dish: Schnitzel Wiener Art ("Viennese style") or simply Schnitzel, not Wiener Schnitzel.

What it actually is

This page describes the classic Wiener Schnitzel: a veal cutlet pounded thin, dredged in flour, dipped in beaten egg and coated in breadcrumbs, then fried in plenty of hot fat — traditionally clarified butter (Butterschmalz), though lard or oil are also used — until the crumb is crisp and puffed away from the meat. The pork version is made the same way with a pork cutlet and is a different dish.

How it's served

• Plain with a wedge of lemon — the classic.
• With a side — fries, potato salad or Spätzle.
• With a sauce — Jägerschnitzel (mushroom) or Rahmschnitzel (cream). Note: a sauced schnitzel is traditionally not called "Wiener Schnitzel".

Writing it on a menu

• State the meat: veal (Kalb) is Wiener Schnitzel; pork (Schwein) is a different dish, usually called Schnitzel Wiener Art, and should never be sold as veal.
• If a sauce comes with it, name it — and remember a real Wiener Schnitzel is served without sauce.
• Flag that it contains gluten (breadcrumbs) and egg, and milk if it is fried in butter or clarified butter — check which frying fat your kitchen uses.