Do you know that Italians call their schnitzel cotoletta and are very offended if you hint that it looks like a Viennese schnitzel? In response, you will hear a story filled with emotions, about how exactly the Italian cotoletta is the ancestor for all the schnitzels in the world, having been born in the XII century! And although breaded cutlet and Austrian schnitzel are no less important part of the culinary history, you know, it makes no sense to argue with Italians 🙂 If they brought you a Milanese schnitzel with a slice of lemon, do not squeeze out all the juice at once! You will lose the crisp this way. You need to add some lemon juice to the schnitzel slice right before you eat it. Going to the store already? Grab polenta, it’s a great side dish 🙂
Do you know that Italians call their schnitzel cotoletta and are very offended if you hint that it looks like a Viennese schnitzel? In response, you will hear a story filled with emotions, about how exactly the Italian cotoletta is the ancestor for all the schnitzels in the world, having been born in the XII century! And although breaded cutlet and Austrian schnitzel are no less important part of the culinary history, you know, it makes no sense to argue with Italians 🙂 If they brought you a Milanese schnitzel with a slice of lemon, do not squeeze out all the juice at once! You will lose the crisp this way. You need to add some lemon juice to the schnitzel slice right before you eat it. Going to the store already? Grab - Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes for each schnitzel
- Serves: 4
- Difficulty: easy
- Course: main dish
- Cookware: large frying pan
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 pieces of beef fillet, 120-150 g each
- 4 eggs
- 100 g bread crumbs
- 100 g flour
- 50 g polenta
- 50 g parmesan, grated
- 100 g butter
- oil for frying
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
Cooking method
Step 1
If you have a whole piece of beef fillet, then first it should be cut across into 4 large pieces. Then lightly moisten each piece with water. Cover with cling film and bash the meat to flatten it. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Set out three shallow bowls. Beat eggs with salt in one. Mix the polenta, breadcrumbs, and parmesan in the next one. Fill the last one with the flour.
Step 3
Dip each piece of meat in flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs mixture, again the egg and finally the breadcrumbs mixture.
Step 4
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook the meat until golden brown on both sides. Just before the end of cooking, put a piece of butter on the schnitzel, let it melt, and transfer the schnitzel to a plate. Serve the schnitzels with Milanese risotto or polenta.
My tips and tricks:
While it’s easy to cook schnitzel, there are a few little tricks to achieving the perfect result: crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. If you have time after dipping the meat (step 3), refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes: this will give the coating an even more crunchy effect. Turn the meat only once – this way the coating is better preserved. Always cook the schnitzel over medium heat, and if the pan gets very hot, you can add oil and reduce the heat – this will quickly cool the oil inside. If you need to wait a little before serving, just place the schnitzels in a warm oven. This will keep them warm and their taste will be great.
Konstantin Vidoborenko’s wine recommendations:
For the Milanese schnitzel, don’t forget to buy a bottle of Chardonnay aged in an oak barrel, for example, from Chile. This wine has a rich aroma of tropical fruits, ripe apples, bread crust, creamy milky tones, and a soft rounded buttery taste. Despite the fact that it is a white wine, its style is quite dense and rich. Therefore, Chardonnay can easily cope with hearty schnitzel without yielding to it in terms of taste.
- 4 pieces of beef fillet, 120-150 g each
- 4 eggs
- 100 g bread crumbs
- 100 g flour
- 50 g polenta
- 50 g parmesan, grated
- 100 g butter
- oil for frying
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
- If you have a whole piece of beef fillet, then first it should be cut across into 4 large pieces. Then lightly moisten each piece with water. Cover with cling film and bash the meat to flatten it. Season with salt and pepper.
- Set out three shallow bowls. Beat eggs with salt in one. Mix the polenta, breadcrumbs, and parmesan in the next one. Fill the last one with the flour.
- Dip each piece of meat in flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs mixture, again the egg and finally the breadcrumbs mixture.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook the meat until golden brown on both sides. Just before the end of cooking, put a piece of butter on the schnitzel, let it melt, and transfer the schnitzel to a plate. Serve the schnitzels with Milanese risotto or polenta.