the.com/schnitzel
a slab of meat hammered into the geometry of pure deliciousness
means A thin cutlet of meat, classically veal but often pork or chicken, pounded flat, breaded, and fried until golden and crisp.
from German, where Schnitzel means roughly 'a little slice' or 'a cutting' — a diminutive of Schnitz, 'a slice,' from the verb schneiden, 'to cut.' So the name describes the deed before the breading: meat carved thin and ready for the hammer. The most famous incarnation, Wiener Schnitzel ('Viennese cutlet'), carries Vienna's name to dinner tables worldwide.
- name origin
- German for slice, related to cutting
- legal protection
- Wiener Schnitzel must legally be veal in Austria
- global cousin
- inspired Japan's tonkatsu and Texas chicken-fried steak
- the pounding
- thinner means crispier, so meat gets demolished first
- national pride
- Austria and Germany still argue over ownership
wiener schnitzel — breaded veal cutlet from vienna, austria's national dish since the 18th century
israeli schnitzel — thin chicken schnitzel widely served in israel since the 1950s, now more common than veal version