Pork Schnitzel

I’m sure you definitely don’t think of barbecue when you think of schnitzel, but let me tell you, this recipe is for the most epic pork schnitzel, and I made the entire thing on the bbq. That is the beauty of the Alchemy, it’s so versatile and the new elevated grill rack lets you heat up oil evenly to the perfect temperature to get the most delicious, perfectly golden and crispy schnitzel. But, the first step to the perfect pork schnitzel is actually placing it in the smoker first. Putting your pork cutlet in the smoker first gives it a light smoky taste and because it’s a thin piece of meat, cooks the pork so when you bread and fry it, you don’t need to worry about having a golden exterior, but uncooked inside. Once the pork is lightly smoked, give it a coat of flour and dip it in an egg wash and panko breadcrumbs. Heat up oil in a large cast iron pan on the Alchemy elevated grill rack and fry the schnitzel on both sides until it has a beautifully golden, crispy crust.

We are going to backtrack a little here, because really the first step is to make your matchstick fries. These are super easy to make and turned out so delicious, think Hickory Sticks, but better. Peel and thinly slice a Yukon gold potato and then cut into thin matchsticks. Fry until golden brown, making sure to use tongs to separate the pieces so they don’t all stick together and then stirring occasionally. Once golden and crispy, remove from the oil and season with salt and set aside. You can use the same oil to fry up your schnitzel. While the schnitzel fries, chop up an apple and add it to the plancha to grill, seasoning them with a bit of cinnamon. Once everything is done, stack the matchstick potatoes on top of the pork schnitzel, add dollops of sour cream and sprinkle with the grilled apples, garnish with parsley and serve with a wedge of lemon. Keep reading to find out how to make my Pork Schnitzel with Grilled Apples and Matchstick Potatoes, or jump to the full recipe.

Set smoker to 200F. Butterfly the pork tenderloin into one large cutlet. Using plastic wrap, pound the pork to thin it out, to about ½ an inch.

Place the pork in the smoker for about 20 minutes.

Add a cast iron pan to the elevated grilling rack, add canola oil to heat up. Using a mandolin, thinly slice your peeled potato, then cut into thin matchsticks.

Place in the oil and allow to fry, mixing occasionally to the pieces don’t all stick together.

Once golden brown and crispy, remove from the oil and place in a bowl lined with paper towel to drain. Season with salt.

Remove the pork from the smoker and season with salt.

Set up your breading station. One bowl or shallow dish with flour, one with three beaten eggs, and one with panko. Coat with flour, then the egg mixture, then the panko.

Dice the apple and place on the plancha with oil. Allow to cook and soften, season with cinnamon and cook until nicely charred.

Once the matchstick fries are removed from the oil, add in the breaded pork. Fry on each side, about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

To plate, place the pork schnitzel on a platter. Dollop with sour cream and sprinkle on the grilled apples.

Top with the matchstick fries and garnish with parsley leaves. Serve with lemon slices.

An now for the full recipe...

Pork Schnitzel with Grilled Apple and Matchstick Potatoes

Makes 1 large schnitzel

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 whole boneless pork tenderloin

½ cup flour

3 eggs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Canola oil for frying 1 cup (based on size of frying pot/pan)

½ apple

½ tsp cinnamon

1 large Yukon gold potato Salt

3 tbsp sour cream

Italian parsley for garnish

½ lemon

How to Make Pork Schnitzel

Set smoker to 200F.

Butterfly the pork tenderloin into one large cutlet. Using plastic wrap, pound the pork to thin it out, to about ½ an inch. Place in the smoker for about 20 minutes.

Add a cast iron pan to the elevated grilling rack, add canola oil to heat up. Using a mandolin, thinly slice your peeled potato, then cut into thin matchsticks. Place in the oil and allow to fry, mixing occasionally to the pieces don’t all stick together. Once golden brown and crispy, remove from the oil and place in a bowl lined with paper towel to drain.

Set up your breading station. One bowl or shallow dish with flour, one with three beaten eggs, and one with panko. Remove the pork from the smoker and season with salt. Coat with flour, then the egg mixture, then the panko.

Dice the apple and place on the plancha with oil. Allow to cook and soften, season with cinnamon and cook until nicely charred.

Once the matchstick fries are removed from the oil, add in the breaded pork. Fry on each side, about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

To plate, place the pork schnitzel on a platter. Dollop with sour cream and sprinkle on the grilled apples. Top with the matchstick fries and garnish with parsley leaves. Serve with lemon slices.

Make sure to subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss out on a new recipe, follow me on all my social channels @chefmattbasile and check out my new project @alchemygrills for updates, recipes and videos.