Wiener schnitzel

Wiener Schnitzel (Viennese Schnitzel in German, where Schnitzel means a cutlet without bones) is a traditional Austrian dish and is a popular part of Viennese and Austrian cuisine, consisting of a thin slice of veal coated in breadcrumbs and fried. In Austria the dish is traditionally served with a lemon slice, lingonberry jam and either potato salad or potatoes with parsley and butter. While the traditional Wiener Schnitzel is made of veal, it is now sometimes made of pork, though in that case it is often called Schnitzel Wiener Art (Germany) or Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein (Austria) to differentiate it from the original. In Austria, the term Wiener Schnitzel is protected by law, and any schnitzel called by that name has to be made from veal.^[1] The dish may have originated in Milan, northern Italy, as cotoletta alla milanese, and may have appeared in Vienna during the 15th or 16th century. According to another theory, it was introduced in 1857 by Field Marshal Radetzky, who spent much of his life in Milan. The term Wiener Schnitzel itself dates to at least 1862.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Elsewhere 1.1 Argentina 1.2 Australia 1.3 Brazil 1.4 Colombia 1.5 Croatia 1.6 Cuban American Cooking 1.7 Czech Republic 1.8 Denmark 1.9 Germany 1.10 Gibraltar 1.11 Hungary 1.12 Iran 1.13 Israel 1.14 Italy 1.15 Mexico 1.16 Namibia 1.17 Poland 1.18 Portugal 1.19 Romania 1.20 Slovakia 1.21 Slovenia 1.22 South Africa 1.23 Spain 1.24 Sweden 1.25 Switzerland 1.26 United Kingdom 1.27 United States 1.28 Venezuela 2 Other types 3 See also 4 References 5 External links 5.1 Recipes

Elsewhere

Argentina

In Argentina, the schnitzel is one of the most popular meals, called "milanesa". It's probably one of the many influences left by Italian immigration to the country since the end of the 19th century. The "milanesa" is made from beef and also chicken, and it may be served both at expensive restaurants and cheap street stores. It is usually served with french fries or salad, but there are also many variants with cheese, ham, tomato and different types of sauces.

Australia

Chicken schnitzel, and chicken parmigiana are very popular dishes in Australia, especially amongst those with German or Austrian heritage. As a home cooked meal, it is generally accompanied by mashed, or boiled and fried potato. Chicken parmigiana is a large schnitzel topped with Italian tomato sauce, cheese, and sometimes ham or bacon, generally accompanied by french fries (chips) and/or salad. In pub meals it is commonly known as "Parmi"^[2] or "Parma".^[3] Veal and chicken schnitzel are also commonly available in more expensive restaurants serving a European menu.

Brazil

Due to the strong influence of Italian culture in Brazil, Wiener schnitzels are known as filé à milanesa (Milanese steak). It is found easily on street restaurants and often cooked at most homes. Servings often include white rice, salted brown beans, French fries or mashed potatoes, lettuce and tomato salad. Milanesa sandwiches are also common, and so is the parmigiana version -filé à milanesa with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese.

Colombia

The dish is called Milanesa or Chuleta Valluna, made with a thin cut pork, breaded and fried.

Croatia

The dish is called Bečki šnicl (literally Wiener Schnitzel in German resp. Viennese Schnitzel in English) and it is made of pork and served with French fries. Common garnishes include a slice of lemon or some lettuce.

Cuban American Cooking

The dish is served as Steak Milanesa, made with a thin cut of sirloin, breaded and fried, with tomato sauce. It is usually served with traditional Cuban side dishes.

Czech Republic

Schnitzel is also highly popular in the Czech Republic where it is known as a smažený řízek and is made of pork or chicken. It is often served with boiled or mashed potatoes. It could have been used as a traditional stereotype.

Denmark

In Denmark the dish is called Wienerschnitzel. It is made of pork or veal and is usually served with fried potatoes, gravy, green peas, a lemon slice, horse radish, caper and a slice of anchovy.

Germany

A Schnitzel in German is a cutlet without bones. Only the version coated in breadcrumbs is called Wiener Schnitzel, and even this is often referred to as simply Schnitzel. When made of prime quality meat, a Schnitzel is mostly served pure, perhaps with some salt and a slice of lemon. Other than that it may be served with a sauce (other types).

Gibraltar

This is also a popular dish in Gibraltar, it is commonly referred to as "carne empana" (beef), "gallina empana" (chicken) or "mulito empanao" (chicken drumsticks). A dish usually associated with a picnic at the beach during the summer months.

Hungary

Due to the strong Austrian influence of the Austro-Hungarian era, Wiener schnitzel is very popular in Hungary, known as bécsi szelet^[4] (Viennese slice), borju bécsi (Viennese veal) or rántotthús (breaded meat). It is served in the restaurants and is a common meal in the Hungarian homes, prepared often on Sundays or for festivities. The dish is served in the restaurants with French fries or mashed potatoes or rice. Alternatively green peas or other vegetables can be used as side dish. Bread and salad (or pickles) often accompaines the meal. Some restaurants offer the Cordon bleu variant, a slice of Wiener schnitzel rolled and filled with cheese and ham.

Iran

Chicken-breast schnitzel is popular in Iran where it is known as shenitsel (Persian: شنیتسل). Thought to have been introduced in Persia during the World Wars, shenitsel is usually thicker, bigger, spicier, and fried with a more crispy breading than the standard Wiener schnitzel. It is customarily served with lemon, French fries and a variety of boiled vegetables.

There is another Iranian dish called kotlet(Persian: کتلت) which should not be confused with shenitsel. Kotlets in turn are small oval-shaped patties made by deep-frying a mix of ground meat, onion, potato and herbs.

Israel

Schnitzel (Hebrew: שניצל‎, shnitsel, also Hebrew: כתיתה‎, ktita) is a very popular food in Israeli cuisine, The meat is typically chicken or turkey breast, in conformance with dietary kashrut laws, which do not allow pork to be used. Before frying, it is coated with a mixture of beaten eggs and bread crumbs, sometimes spiced with paprika or sesame seeds. The Israeli schnitzel is usually served with French fries, rice, or pasta, accompanied by ketchup, hummus, or vegetable salad. Schnitzel in a pita is a popular fusion dish unique to Israeli cuisine.

The schnitzel tradition was brought to Israel by Ashkenazi Jews coming from Europe. Many Israelis were of Viennese or German origin, but during the early years of the State of Israel, veal was unobtainable, and chicken or turkey proved an inexpensive and tasty substitute.

Pre-packaged schnitzels are widely available from the frozen food section in all supermarkets. Some frozen schnitzels are breaded patties made from processed chicken or turkey meat, not whole poultry breasts (the Hebrew word ktita designates this processed meat product). The Israeli food company Tiv′ol (Hebrew: טבעול‎, Tivall in the UK) was the first to produce a vegetarian schnitzel from a soya meat substitute.

Italy

In Italy cotoletta alla milanese is very similar to Wiener Schnitzel. Originally from Milan, it can now be found all over the country.

Mexico

Thinly sliced beef breaded and fried is also known as "milanesa" and is a popular ingredient in "torta" sandwiches sold in street stands and indoor restaurants in Mexico City.

Namibia

Schnitzel, both chicken and pork, is common in Namibia due to the German colonial history. A majority of the restaurants in both Walvis Bay and Swakopmund offer it on their menus, often times topped with a fried egg and accompanied by potato salad.

Poland

Polish kotlet schabowy is similar to the traditional Austrian dish.

Portugal

In Portugal a similar dish is called bife panado or just panado (which means "breaded" in Portuguese). Different varieties of panado can be made with chicken (panado de frango), turkey (panado de peru), pork (costeleta panada for pork chop, febra panada for pork without bone), or veal (escalope de vitela panado). The meat is usually seasoned with black pepper, garlic, and lemon juice. It is commonly served with spaghetti, fried potatoes, or rice (plain or with beans). It is also popular as a sandwich, served in a bun with lettuce (sandes de panado).

Romania

Romanian șnițel is very common in restaurants, fast food places, and homes across the country. Normally served simple and unadorned, the fast food version is differentiated by being served sandwich/burger style. Cordon bleu șnițel (made from pork tenderloin stuffed with cheese and ham) is also very popular. The Romanian șnițel is made in the same manner as the Austrian one, but as a local characteristic is made of almost any type of meat (chicken, pork, veal or beef). A specialty from Western Romania is the mosaic șnițel made of two thin meat layers (usually each layer of different meat) and a vegetable (usually mushroom) filling.

Slovakia

Schnitzel is also highly popular in Slovakia, where it is referred to as "vyprážaný rezeň". It is often made of pork or chicken and served with french fries, boiled or mashed potatoes or even rice.

Slovenia

Schnitzel is called "Dunajski Zrezek" meaning cutlets from Vienna ("Dunaj" in Slovenian). It is served with a type of coleslaw and boiled potatoes. Restaurants serving the "Zrezki" can be found throughout the country.

South Africa

Schnitzels are also popular in South Africa, due to the European heritage in the country. Chicken schnitzels and Cordon Bleu schnitzels are a common item on most restaurant menus, and in recent years beef and pork schnitzels have also become widely available.

Spain

A similar dish is popular in Spain, and it is normally called escalope milanesa in restaurants when served with french fries and a slice of lemon. When eaten in a sandwich it is simply called filete empanado. It is usually made of veal or beef. Chicken is called pollo empanado, and pork is virtually unheard of.

Sweden

In Sweden the dish is called Schnitzel or Wienerschnitzel. It is made of pork or veal and is usually served with potatoes, green peas and a lemon slice. Some Swedish cookbooks claim that real Wiener schnitzel should be decorated with caper and a slice ansjovis (tinned sprats cured in brine).

Switzerland

Vulgarized as "Schnipo", a lemon topped schnitzel served with french fries ("pommes frites" in French) is a widely popular dish eaten in Swiss restaurants and canteens. The Cordon Bleu variant of the schnitzel – two slices of Wiener schnitzel (or one with a pocket) filled with cheese and a slice of ham – is claimed to be a Swiss invention.

United Kingdom

In the Teesside area of the United Kingdom, the Parmo is a popular take out meal. Made from flattened, breadcrumbed pork or chicken rather than veal, it is topped with béchamel sauce, grated cheese and then grilled. It is common to find them offered with a selection of pizza-style toppings such as a 'hotshot' (pepperoni, peppers and jalapeno, for example)

Schnitzel is often referred to as escalope in the UK, particularly when made with chicken.

United States

In the U.S., Wiener Schnitzel is most commonly found at German-style restaurants. These restaurants usually use the term Wiener Schnitzel to refer to the dish made with veal cutlet, and may also serve other "Schnitzels" made with other meats.

In the Midwest, where many German immigrants settled in the 19th century, the pork tenderloin sandwich is a popular meal in local restaurants that may be derived from Wiener Schnitzel.

The precise origins of chicken fried steak are unclear but many sources attribute its development to German and Austrian immigrants to Texas in the nineteenth century. Chicken fried steak (also known as country fried steak) is a piece of beef steak (tenderized cubed steak) coated with seasoned flour and pan fried. It is associated with Southern U.S. cuisine and hospitality. Its name is likely due to the dish's similar preparation as with fried chicken. It is typically served with mashed potatoes with both the steak and potatoes covered with white, cracked pepper gravy.

Venezuela

As in Argentina and Brazil, Venezuelans get the dish from Italian immigrants. Milanesas are usually accompanied with rice, beans and fried sweet plantains.

Other types

Other variants of the schnitzel, not all necessarily made with a breadcrumb crust, include:

• Cordon bleu: "Blue ribbon", two slices of Wiener schnitzel (or one with a pocket) filled with cheese and a slice of ham.
• Valdostana: Very similar to the cordon bleu, but cheese and ham are not inside but on the top. This plate is from an alpine region in Italy, the Val d'Aosta, which is very close to France, where cordon bleu is from.
• Jägerschnitzel: "Hunter's schnitzel", served with dark mushroom sauce. (Jägerschnitzel may also refer to an eastern German variant made of Jagdwurst which originated in the GDR.)
• Zigeunerschnitzel: "Gypsy schnitzel", served with a tomato sauce containing bell pepper and onion slices. Also called Paprikaschnitzel (Bell pepper schnitzel)
• Rahmschnitzel: "Cream schnitzel", served with a sauce based on cream, often contains mushrooms.
• Hamburger Schnitzel: "Hamburg-style schnitzel", topped with a fried egg.
• Holsteiner Schnitzel: "Holstein-style schnitzel"; breaded; topped with a fried egg, and usually anchovies and capers.
• Naturschnitzel: "Natural (i.e. unbreaded) schnitzel"; not breaded; sautéed; served with a simple sauce (e.g., pan drippings, to which sour cream may be added) or none at all.
• Chicken schnitzel (German: Hähnchenschnitzel): Made of chicken breast fillet, usually a cheaper alternative to other meats. It is gaining in popularity because it is much lower in fat and cholesterol and is thus suitable as fitness food. The taste of the chicken schnitzel in the natural form (i.e., unbreaded and without a sauce) is milder than that of veal and pork schnitzels.
• Turkey schnitzel (German: Putenschnitzel): Made of fillet of turkey breast, very popular in Israel, where it is often called the national dish.
• Vegetarian schnitzel: Made of textured soy, tofu or seitan. The seasoning is both in the meat substitute and in the breading so the consistency may differ slightly. In the UK vegetarian schnitzels are marketed under the Tivall brand name. Tivall Vegetarian Schnitzels are meat free, made with lightly seasoned, shaped and textured vegetable proteins, coated in light and crispy breadcrumbs. Although softer in texture, the flavor is a close approximation to the meat based original.

See also

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Seitan Burger

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Schnitzel

• Parmo, a dish invented on Teesside, England
• Wienerschnitzel, an American fast-food hot dog chain which does not serve schnitzel despite its name.
• Tonkatsu, Japanese style schnitzel made from pork.
• Milanesa, Breaded meat preparation similar to schnitzel, seen in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America
• Cotoletta the Italian equivalent to schnitzel
• Austrian cuisine
• Chicken fried steak
• Parmigiana
• Chicken Kiev

References

• This article draws heavily on the corresponding article in the German-language Wikipedia, accessed December 2004.

External links

• Cordon bleu in the online Culinary Heritage of Switzerland database.

Recipes

• Steve Kramer (2007-02-20). "The Wiener Schnitzel step by step instructions". http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=feature.display&feature_id=192. 
• Wiener Schnitzel recipe (English)(German)
• Cooking Wiener Schnitzel in San Francisco - Instructional Cooking Video