Schnitzel is a breaded and fried boneless meat dish in Austrian cuisine, often made with veal and served with lemon, cranberry sauce, and potatoes. It has regional variations and is similar to Italian cotoletta alla milanese. Chicken and beef schnitzel are common outside of Austria, and variations of the dish are popular in Central and South America, Israel, Australia, and Scandinavia.
Schnitzel is a dish in Austrian cuisine, consisting of a boneless escalope or piece of meat, which is breaded and fried. It is often called Wienerschnitzel, which means “Viennese Schnitzel”. In Germany, the dish can only be called a Wienerschnitzel if it is made from veal and covered in breadcrumbs. There are other regional versions of the dish, some of which involve stuffing the meat with fillings, such as mushrooms and onions, before it’s breaded and fried. It is commonly served with a wedge of lemon and with cranberry or cranberry sauce and potatoes on the side.
The origins of the cutlet are unknown, but it may have originated in Italy, as it is very similar to the Italian dish cotoletta alla milanese. The earliest documentation of the dish in Austria dates from the mid-19th century, but it may have been served well earlier. Many different cultures have a traditional dish similar to the schnitzel.
Schnitzel, like the Italian schnitzel, is traditionally made with veal, but is sometimes made with pork today. Outside of Austria, chicken and beef schnitzel are also common. A version of the dish is common throughout Central and South America, where it is typically made with beef and called milanese or milanesa. The breaded schnitzel can also be served on a bun, sometimes topped with a fried egg. Chicken fried steak, a dish from the American South, is likely a version of schnitzel that originated with German and Austrian immigrants in Texas.
In Iran and Israel, a version of the dish based on chicken breast is popular. Ashkenazi Jews who moved to Israel brought the dish with them from Europe, but veal was not available in the early days of the state of Israel, so chicken or turkey was substituted. Pork is not an option in Israel due to its non-kosher status.
In Australia, a beef-based version of the dish, colloquially called schnitter, is a popular pub food. The dish is also eaten throughout the Scandinavian countries, where it is typically served with capers and anchovies. Some interesting variations on the schnitzel include the Bulgarian version, which uses ground veal instead of a schnitzel, and the Romanian mosaic snitel, made with a vegetable filling layered between two different types of meat. Cordon bleu, made with a thin veal or chicken schnitzel stuffed with ham and cheese, is a popular variation around the world.
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