Thursday, October 20, 2011

Pork Schnitzel and Apple Cider Braised Red Cabbage

Posted by Tina / 9 comments » / *Recipes, Main Courses, Pork, Sides

Okay, so I know the REAL Oktoberfest has come and gone. However, seeing as it’s still October, and you can still find Oktoberfest brews everywhere… Oktoberfest recipes MUST still be perfectly acceptable. See I can rationalize anything 😉

So here’s the thing, I’m not a big pork lover and neither is the hubs, but for some reason I have been DYING to make some pork schnitzel. It’s probably the name… “schnitzel”. I just love saying it. Seriously… SCHHHNIIITTTZEELLL. It sounds impressive, no?

Turns out schnitzel is really easy to make, and super delicious. There I said it. I ate pork and I loved it. I find it’s really easy to dry out pork and make it chewy and tough… bleh. This pork was anything but that. It was super tender and crisp from the panko… and the dill? Oh wow- the dill takes it over. the. top. Hubs was a HUGE fan of the schnitzel. I believe his words were, “Oh wow, you have officially restored my faith in the pork chop.”

Serve these babies with a side of apple cider braised cabbage and my creamy mashed red potatoes… Uh, WINNING. My German ancestors would be so proud…

Note: If pork really skeeves you, you can easily substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts (I plan on trying this out too!). 

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Pork Schnitzel and Apple Cider Braised Red Cabbage

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Cabbage:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 head of purple cabbage, sliced really thin
2/3 cup apple cider
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste
sprinkle of carroway seeds, optional (I left these out)

For the Schnitzel:
1 pound (ish) of boneless pork chops
Salt
2/3 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

For the Cabbage:
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized dutch oven over medium-high heat. If you choose to use the carroway seeds, add them now and toast until frangrant. Add a handful of the cabbage at a time, stirring until it begins to wilt, then adding the next handful. ONce all cabbage has begun to wilt, add the apple cider and the apple cider vinegar. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover pot to allow to braise for a good 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

For the Schnitzel:
Remove any silver skin from the pork chops. Place them one at a time on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper then pound them as thin as you can get them using a meat mallet (1/4"-1/8"). Sprinkle both sides with a little salt and set aside.

Set up an assembly line of 3 dishes. Place flour in the first dish, eggs in the second, and panko in the third one. Mix salt, dill, and black pepper into the panko. Dredge the pounded out pork into the flour and shake to remove excess. Next, dunk in the egg wash, and then into the panko mixture. Be sure the entire piece is coated and shake to remove excess.

Preheat oven to 250°. Heat 1-2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Cook the schnitzel in the skillet for 1 1/2-2 minutes until golden (they are SO thin that they do not take long at all), then flip and cook other side for another 1 1/2-2 minutes. Place onto a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Repeat until all pieces are cooked, adding butter & olive oil as needed and being sure to not over crowd the pan (I did 2 pieces at a time). Serve hot with braised cabbage and smashed red potatoes.

Apple Cider Braised Cabbage Adapted from: The Sandwich King
Schnitzel: My Life as a Mrs

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