Tag: German

Schnitzel

Haha, I think because of the restaurant Wienerschnitzel, people think schnitzel is going to be some sort of hot dog or sausage. I didn’t know what it was until my mission in Germany and Austria, then I had a lot of great schnitzel. I learned that schnitzel is really a breaded, fried cutlet of meat. “Schnitzel” kind of translates to small cut–like a cutlet. It’s reminiscent of chicken fried steak, made with either pork, chicken, or veal, depending on the geography. It’s not very flavorful, but it’s still a fun meal. This recipe is adapted from daringgourmet.com–she has lots of delicious German recipes.

I remember in Vienna, there was a restaurant that the missionaries called Herb’s–but it was really called Schnitzelwirt. It was like a rite of passage for an elder to finish the giant Wienerschnitzel and all the accompanying fries. I’m pretty sure I also did it–and I went back there with my mom when we went to visit. Traditionally schnitzel is served with fries and a lemon wedge–or maybe with potato salad.

If you’re making this gluten free, I have now made it with corn starch and Corn Chex crumbs–that’s the one in the photo. It turned out great, and I think I’ve heard that corn starch coatings make stuff nice and crisp.

Make it a meal with:

Schnitzel

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: medium
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Serve with fries and a lemon wedge, for a wonderful German/Austrian meal.

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless Pork Steaks or Chops (you can also use chicken or veal)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 c. Flour combined with 1 tsp. salt (or gluten free flour or cornstarch)
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (or gluten free breadcrumbs or Corn Chex crumbs)
  • Oil for frying
  • Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions

Place the chops under plastic wrap and pound until they’re 1/4″ thick. Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour mixture, egg, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dip the chops in the flour, then the egg, and then the breadcrumbs, coating both sides and all edges at each stage. Be careful not to press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Gently shake off the excess crumbs. Don’t let the schnitzel sit in the coating or they will not be as crispy once fried – fry immediately.
Make sure the cooking oil is hot enough at this point (about 330 degrees F) as you don’t want the Schnitzel to sit around in the coating before frying. Use enough oil so that the Schnitzels “swim” in it.
Fry the Schnitzel for about 2-3 minutes on both sides until a deep golden brown. Transfer briefly to a plate lined with paper towels. Optional: Squeeze a lemon wedge all over the schnitzel before eating.

 


 

Berner Wuerstl

On my mission in Vienna, my companion and I discovered what we called “Heart Attack Wursts”, aka Berner Wuerstl. These bacon-wrapped, cheese-filled hot dogs were SO delicious, but we didn’t dare eat very many or we might actually die of a heart attack. Haha. They were sold in packages in the store in Vienna, but we don’t really have them readily available in stores near us; so I decided to make a substitute version for Oktoberfest. It’s really easy–the hardest part is wrapping the bacon around the hot dog so it doesn’t unravel. I try to tuck in the ends, and if I slightly stretch the bacon from side to side (not pulling on the ends but the sides), that it holds onto the hot dog easier.

You can either use nice cheese-filled hot dogs and wrap them in bacon, or stuff your own hot dogs with cheese.

And this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Berner Wuerstl

  • Servings: varies
  • Difficulty: medium
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A delicious, bacon-wrapped “heart attack wurst”.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. good quality Hot Dogs
  • 1 brick White Cheese (like Muenster), thinly sliced to fit inside a hot dog
  • OR 1 pkg. Cheddar Hot Dogs
  • 1 pkg. uncooked Bacon

Directions

For the easiest version, buy cheddar hot dogs and simply wrap them with bacon. OR Slice hot dogs down middle, place cheese in middle, then wrap in bacon, making sure to tuck the ends so the bacon doesn’t unravel. Broil or grill on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side, turning halfway.


Bratwurst Splits

Bratwurst itself is great, but add extra cheddar and it’s amazing. I think my older brother had a version of this at a German restaurant when he went there with his German class in middle school. Ever since then, we’ve enjoyed having our Americanized version as part of Oktoberfest. You could eat it in a bun, but we generally just eat it straight up with a knife and fork.

Note that it is delicious but very greasy, especially if you use a national brand like Johnsonville. So you may not want to eat too many, for your digestive system. If you want one less greasy, you can use Harmons bratwurst, which has considerably less fat and is more authentic-tasting. But any brand is delicious.

And this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Bratwurst Splits

  • Servings: varies
  • Difficulty: medium
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A fun German-inspired Oktoberfest dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. Bratwursts
  • Optional: Broth and chopped onion
  • 1 brick Cheddar Cheese, cut in long slices like string cheese

Directions

Boil bratwurst in pan of water or chicken broth with onion (for more flavor), about 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Then slice bratwurst down middle (not all the way through), place cheese in middle, then broil or grill until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.


Spaetzle

I had a fair amount of spaetzle on my mission. Haha, I’m not sure I ever actually had any made by Germans–the missionaries just always seemed to make it because it was fairly easy and fun. And cheap. We generally eat it with cheese, so that it’s a lot like macaroni and cheese. But you can add onion, ham, or whatever you’d like, and warm it like a casserole. Or eat it with brown gravy on top. It’s not the most photogenic food, but it’s delicious.

I still sometimes make spaetzle as a side for Oktoberfest or when I make Schnitzel. White cheese like Emmentaler is more authentic, but you can use cheddar. Or use mozzarella if you want white cheese but don’t want the more expensive kinds. (I used mozzarella in the photo.)

If you’re making this one gluten free, it turns out great. I couldn’t even tell it was gluten free. Just substitute the cup for cup gluten free flour for the regular flour. Also remember to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife.

Make it a meal with:

Spaetzle

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: medium
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A fun German side. It always takes longer to make than I think, but it’s fun and cheesy.

Ingredients

  • 1 c. Flour (or gluten free flour with xanthan gum)
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Pepper
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/2 c. Milk
  • Shredded Cheese

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl except the cheese. You may need more milk. It should be slightly thicker than pancake batter because it has to drip through holes. Prepare a pot of water (almost to boiling). Over the pot, place a spaetzle maker or colander. Drop a few spoonfuls of batter into the colander and let the batter drip into the pot. When the spaetzle floats, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a strainer. Once strained, place in a greased baking dish and cover a layer with shredded cheese. Then place in the oven and broil to melt the cheese.


Bavarian Potato Salad

I know people hear “German potato salad” and they think of a weird hot salad. But at least on my mission in Southern Germany and Austria, I had a LOT of potato salad and never had it served hot. Mostly it was beautiful golden potatoes, delightfully oniony, and in a vinegary broth.

This recipe is adapted from one in a Bavarian cookbook that I bought in Germany. Haha, German cookbooks sometimes aren’t very specific, just saying things like “oil” and “some vinegar”, so I tried to figure out a little more specific quantities for an authentic taste. You may end up with a fair amount of liquid in it. We don’t make it very often because my family doesn’t like vinegar, but it’s good if you’re looking for a more authentic recipe.

And this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Bavarian Potato Salad

  • Servings: 10?
  • Difficulty: medium
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Oniony, vinegary, and full of Bavarian flavors. It does take a bit of time, with cooking, peeling, and cutting potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. bag Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 c. Vegetable Broth
  • Salt and Pepper to taste (you’ll need quite a bit of salt)
  • ½ c. Vegetable Oil
  • 1 ½ c. White Vinegar
  • 1 small White Onion
  • 2 heaping Tbsp. chopped fresh Parsley

Directions

Steam potatoes (about 15-20 min.), then peel and slice, cutting slices in quarters. Warm the vegetable broth, then add salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, onion, and parsley. Pour over potatoes. Mix well and let it absorb for at least half an hour. Adjust flavors as needed.