A Schnitzel Punchline 3.05 Eight O'clock at the Oasis

“And the rabbit says, ‘how about that schnitzel!' Well?” “Well what? There's no punchline.” “That is the punchline.” “‘How about that schnitzel!,' that's the punchline?” “Well, no, not when you say it like that.” “How am I supposed to say it?” “Like a punchline.” “How about that schnitzel!” “Oh, forget it.” “What?” “You ruined my joke.” “Um, no, the punchline ruined your joke.” “Ha!” “What?” “You admit it's a punchline.” “Oh my God.” “Ha, I am vindicated, ‘How about that schnitzel!' has officially been declared a punchline.” “A really bad punchline.” “No one asked for the Norton Critical Edition. All the schnitzel and I wanted was some recognition and now we have it.”

Ingredients: 

• 1 qt vegetable oil for frying

• 4-6 boneless pork chops

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 2 cups breadcrumbs 

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp ground mustard

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ¼ tsp red chili powder

• 1 lemon cut into wedges

Directions: 

1. Add the oil to a large pot or skillet and place over medium-high heat. Use a cooking thermometer to make sure the oil reaches 330 degrees F before frying. 

2. Using a meat tenderizer, flatten the pork chops to about ½ inch in thickness then pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. 

3. Add the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs to three separate bowls or shallow dishes. Mix the seasonings together in a fourth small bowl then evenly distribute the seasoning to the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. 

4. Fully coat a pork chop in flour then dip in the egg mixture to fully coat in egg. Then coat the pork chop in breadcrumbs twice. Repeat with the remaining pork chops. 

5. Once the oil has reached 330 F, work in batches to add the pork chops to the oil to fry. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove with tongs and dry on paper towels. Immediately season with salt. 

6. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. 

How about that schnitzel? I like that this dish wasn’t mentioned as an actual dish someone ate or cooked but rather as part of Lorelai’s punchline. I had fun making it, and the first time I had schnitzel was on a trip to Austria 8 years ago. You can make it with pork, chicken, veal, or other forms of meat then serve with any choice of sides. I had mine with roasted corn and mashed potatoes. 

Happy cooking from the Hollow!

If you missed my last encore dish, catch up here!