While many recipes for pork schnitzel call for tenderloin, but boneless pork chops are an affordable and simple cut to use for this classic breaded and fried mead dish. I personally enjoy the darker meat and are quick to cut the bones from rib and shoulder cuts to make my own cutlets. As a Celiac, gluten free schnitzels are hard to come by in restaurants, so if I’m craving it, I have to make it at home.
My kitchen recycling has drastically improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, and like many, I have been cleaning and clearing out my cupboards to use up remnants of ingredients that had previously been ignored. Leftover and lonely potato chips make for an excellent breading (something I first learned when I had ripple chip coated halibut at a restaurant on the west coast).
This recipe for Potato Chip Pork Schnitzel can be easily made gluten free with a potato starch flour coating and GF chips. I highly recommend salt and vinegar ripple chips for an extra crunch. While most people associate schnitzel with Austrian-German cuisine, many countries around the world have similar dishes – from escalope to milanesa to pork-fried steak. This means that the skies the limit for accompaniments and side dishes for your potato chip schnitzel so serve and savour as you desire.
What you’ll need…
- 1-1.5 lbs boneless pork chops (centre loin, rib, or remove the bone from shoulder chops)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1 cup potato starch for gluten free)
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2 cups potato chips, crushed into large crumbs
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Canola oil, for frying
Directions:
Place each pork chop or cutlet in a re-sealable bag one at a time and pound them with a meat mallet (bottle or rolling pin) until ½ cm thick. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Prepare your breading station by placing the flour, egg mixture and crushed potato chips each in a separate dish.
Place a layer of canola oil in a large pan and heat over medium-high heat.
Coat each cutlet in flour mixture first, then dip entirely into the egg mixture, and then finally into the crushed potato mixture. Ensure that each portion is fully coated after each dip, and shake off any extra breading after each dip. Fill any breading gaps by gently pressing down potato chip crumbs into the pork.
When the pan is hot, add the potato chip schnitzel into the pan and fry about 3-4 minutes on each side. The coating should be golden brown when done; if coating gets dark too quickly reduce temperature to medium heat.
When cooking in batches, add more oil to the pan as needed. Do not overcrowd the pan or the schnitzel will steam and not get crunchy.
Go traditional and served with a wedge of lemon, or enjoy with your favourite sauce, slaw, potato salad or side dish. Enjoy.
