Schnitzel with Spaetzle
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Schnitzel with Spaetzle

1 hr 30 min
Serves 8
porkGermanfried

Pork chops pounded thin, double-coated in cornstarch and egg wash, deep fried golden, and served over homemade spaetzle with a rich onion-beef broth gravy and sauerkraut.

The Story

Schnitzel with spaetzle is a two-track recipe — both components run in parallel once the prep is done, and they come together at the end. The schnitzel starts with boneless pork chops trimmed of all fat, pounded thin between plastic wrap or inside a Ziploc bag. The coating is a three-stage process: cornstarch in a bag to coat and shake, then egg wash, then a 50/50 flour-and-cornstarch mixture. That double starch is what gives the crust its crunch and helps it stay crisp. The spaetzle batter is flour, eggs, milk, and salt stirred until it bubbles — it goes through a spaetzle maker directly into salted boiling water. The gravy starts with sweet onions sautéed low and slow in butter until golden, then a roux of butter and flour, then beef broth added slowly, finished with Worcestershire and soy sauce. Fry the schnitzel in two batches at 375°F, hold them in a 140°F oven while the second batch cooks, then plate spaetzle and schnitzel together and cover with gravy. Sauerkraut on the side. If you want a crispier dumpling, sauté the spaetzle in butter before plating.

Equipment

  • Dutch oven with oil, deep fry setup @ 375°F
  • Stock pot (for spaetzle water)
  • Large skillet (for gravy and onions)
  • Spaetzle maker
  • Meat tenderizer
  • Oven @ 140°F (to hold schnitzel)

Ingredients

  • 8boneless pork chops, trimmed of all fat and pounded thin
  • 1/3 cup + 1/2 cupcornstarch (1/3 cup for bag coat, 1/2 cup for flour mixture)
  • 1/2 cupall-purpose flour (for schnitzel coating)
  • 2 largeeggs
  • 1/4 cupmilk (for egg wash)
  • to tastesalt and pepper (for schnitzel)
  • 4 cupsall-purpose flour (for spaetzle)
  • 8eggs (for spaetzle)
  • 3/4 cupmilk (for spaetzle)
  • 2 tspsalt (for spaetzle batter)
  • 2 largesweet onions, sliced into thin strips
  • 4 tbsp + 2 tbspbutter (4 tbsp for onions, 2 tbsp for roux)
  • 2 tbspflour (for gravy roux)
  • 2 cupsbeef broth
  • 2 tspWorcestershire sauce
  • 1 tspsoy sauce
  • to tastesalt and pepper (for gravy)
  • as neededfrying oil (for Dutch oven, heated to 375°F)

Pudgy's Notes

Pound the pork chops as thin as you can — the thinner they are the faster they cook and the more even the crust. The cornstarch-first bag coat is what makes the egg wash stick; don't skip it. The 50/50 flour-and-cornstarch coating is the key to the crunch — straight flour alone won't get you there. Fry in two batches and hold the first batch in a 140°F oven; it keeps them hot and crisp without overcooking. For the onions, err on the side of pulling them early — overcooked onions turn bitter and muddy the gravy. Add the beef broth to the roux slowly and stir constantly to keep the gravy smooth. Sautéing the spaetzle in butter after boiling is optional but highly recommended — it adds a toasted, slightly crispy texture that's a significant upgrade.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Trim all fat from the pork chops. Place each chop between plastic wrap or inside a Ziploc bag and pound thin with a meat tenderizer, about 10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper, about 2 minutes.

  3. 3

    Place the pork chops in a gallon Ziploc bag with 1/3 cup cornstarch. Shake to coat evenly, about 2 minutes.

  4. 4

    Whisk 2 eggs and 1/4 cup milk together in a pie pan or 8x8 dish to form the egg wash, about 2 minutes.

  5. 5

    Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cornstarch in a separate pie pan or 8x8 dish, about 2 minutes.

  6. 6

    Dredge each pork chop in the egg wash, then in the flour-cornstarch mixture. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 4 minutes.

  7. 7

    Make the spaetzle batter: stir together 4 cups flour, 8 eggs, 3/4 cup milk, and 2 tsp salt until well combined and the batter develops bubbles, about 2 minutes.

  8. 8

    Slice the sweet onions pole to pole, then axially into thin semi-circle strips. The thinner the better. Set aside, about 5 minutes.

  9. 9

    Preheat the Dutch oven frying oil to 375°F. Bring a large stockpot of salted water to just below boiling, about 15 minutes.

  10. 10

    Fry the schnitzel in two batches at 375°F, about 3–5 minutes per batch. Don't crowd the fryer. Total frying time about 15 minutes.

  11. 11

    Hold the cooked schnitzel in a 140°F oven to keep warm while the second batch fries and the gravy finishes, about 30 minutes.

  12. 12

    Melt 4 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Pull them off the heat sooner rather than later.

  13. 13

    Add 2 tbsp butter to the skillet with the onions and melt, about 2 minutes.

  14. 14

    Stir in 2 tbsp flour to form a roux, coating all the flour completely, about 2 minutes.

  15. 15

    Slowly stir in the beef broth to build the gravy, using more or less for your desired consistency. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

  16. 16

    Stir in Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm, about 2 minutes.

  17. 17

    Press the spaetzle batter through a spaetzle maker directly into the salted boiling water. Cook until the dumplings float, then drain.

  18. 18

    Plate the spaetzle and schnitzel together. Cover with gravy. Serve with sauerkraut. Optional: sauté the spaetzle in butter for a crispier dumpling before plating.

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