Preparing and cooking pork schnitzel as my first meal
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Hey there! So, guess what? I made my first meal ever—pork schnitzel! I didn’t think it would be much different from cooking anything else, but there’s a lot more to it than just frying up some meat. Here’s how it went down.
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Finding out about schnitzel
When my dad asked me if I’d ever had schnitzel, I realised I’d only tried the chicken kind. Pork schnitzel is famous in Austria (who knew?), but it’s super different from chicken schnitzel. So, I decided to try and see if I could make it just right.
Getting the pork ready - Hammer time
The first thing I had to do was prep the pork. I learned that you must pound it really thin with a wooden mallet – like you’re hammering a nail but with more focus! I didn’t want to hit it too hard and accidentally tear the meat, so I had to balance it right. Flattening the pork is supposed to make it tender, and it felt fantastic to see the piece get bigger and thinner as I worked on it. Then, I added some salt and pepper to bring out the flavour. Prepping the pork was already feeling like a workout!
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Making it crunchy – The three-step coating process
This was probably my favourite part – making the schnitzel coating! The recipe calls for a three-step coating process to get that famous schnitzel crunch. First, I coated the pork in flour, which helped the next layer stick. Then, I dunked it into a bowl of beaten eggs, making sure every part was covered. Finally, I rolled it in breadcrumbs, pressing them in to ensure they stayed put. The breadcrumbs make the schnitzel crispy and crunchy, and I was already imagining the sound it would make when I bit into it!
Frying and oven finishing for perfect cooking
With the pork all coated, it was time to fry! The recipe mentioned avocado oil, but we only had olive oil, so I went with that. I heated the oil in a pan until it sizzled, then carefully placed the schnitzel. It started to bubble and crackle right away, which was so satisfying! Frying each side took a few minutes to get golden brown, but to ensure it was cooked all the way through, we finished it in the oven. Since pork has to be fully cooked, this extra oven time was necessary for safety (and also for extra crispiness!).
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Choosing sides, including potatoes
Once the schnitzel was ready, it was time to think about sides. My family chose boiled potatoes and green vegetables, along with a parsley sauce on the side. If I could choose, I’d probably go for fries or mashed potatoes, but I figured I’d give boiled potatoes a try. The green vegetables were a nice pop of colour, and the parsley sauce added a bit of freshness. To be honest, I don’t remember much about the sauce (I was too focused on the schnitzel), but it was fun to try something different.
Final rating - The good, the crispy, and the could-be-crispier
Looking back, I’d give my first pork schnitzel experience a solid eight out of ten. It turned out nice and crispy on the outside, but if I’m honest, I think it could’ve been even crispier. The flavour was pretty good, and I was happy with the seasoning, but I think I’d change a few things next time. For one, I’d probably plan my ingredients a little better to avoid last-minute changes, like switching out avocado oil for olive oil. And if I get to pick the sides, I’d definitely go for fries or mashed potatoes – much more my style!
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Lessons learned and what’s next
Cooking schnitzel was a lot of fun, even though it was more work than expected. From pounding the pork to carefully coating each piece and then frying it, every step felt like a little victory. Next time, I’d focus on preparing everything before starting and maybe experiment with different oils or make chicken schnitzel to compare. I still have much to learn in the kitchen, but this was a pretty awesome start.
Finding out about schnitzel
Image from Jaden the Explorer
When my dad asked me if I’d ever had schnitzel, I realised I’d only tried the chicken kind. Pork schnitzel is famous in Austria (who knew?), but it’s super different from chicken schnitzel. So, I decided to try and see if I could make it just right.
Getting the pork ready - Hammer time
Image from Jaden the Explorer
The first thing I had to do was prep the pork. I learned that you must pound it really thin with a wooden mallet – like you’re hammering a nail but with more focus! I didn’t want to hit it too hard and accidentally tear the meat, so I had to balance it right. Flattening the pork is supposed to make it tender, and it felt fantastic to see the piece get bigger and thinner as I worked on it. Then, I added some salt and pepper to bring out the flavour. Prepping the pork was already feeling like a workout!
Making it crunchy – The three-step coating process
Image from Jaden the Explorer
This was probably my favourite part – making the schnitzel coating! The recipe calls for a three-step coating process to get that famous schnitzel crunch. First, I coated the pork in flour, which helped the next layer stick. Then, I dunked it into a bowl of beaten eggs, making sure every part was covered. Finally, I rolled it in breadcrumbs, pressing them in to ensure they stayed put. The breadcrumbs make the schnitzel crispy and crunchy, and I was already imagining the sound it would make when I bit into it!
Frying and oven finishing for perfect cooking
Image from Jaden the Explorer
With the pork all coated, it was time to fry! The recipe mentioned avocado oil, but we only had olive oil, so I went with that. I heated the oil in a pan until it sizzled, then carefully placed the schnitzel. It started to bubble and crackle right away, which was so satisfying! Frying each side took a few minutes to get golden brown, but to ensure it was cooked all the way through, we finished it in the oven. Since pork has to be fully cooked, this extra oven time was necessary for safety (and also for extra crispiness!).
Choosing sides, including potatoes
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Once the schnitzel was ready, it was time to think about sides. My family chose boiled potatoes and green vegetables, along with a parsley sauce on the side. If I could choose, I’d probably go for fries or mashed potatoes, but I figured I’d give boiled potatoes a try. The green vegetables were a nice pop of colour, and the parsley sauce added a bit of freshness. To be honest, I don’t remember much about the sauce (I was too focused on the schnitzel), but it was fun to try something different.
Final rating - The good, the crispy, and the could-be-crispier
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Looking back, I’d give my first pork schnitzel experience a solid eight out of ten. It turned out nice and crispy on the outside, but if I’m honest, I think it could’ve been even crispier. The flavour was pretty good, and I was happy with the seasoning, but I think I’d change a few things next time. For one, I’d probably plan my ingredients a little better to avoid last-minute changes, like switching out avocado oil for olive oil. And if I get to pick the sides, I’d definitely go for fries or mashed potatoes – much more my style!
Lessons learned and what’s next
Image from Jaden the Explorer
Cooking schnitzel was a lot of fun, even though it was more work than expected. From pounding the pork to carefully coating each piece and then frying it, every step felt like a little victory. Next time, I’d focus on preparing everything before starting and maybe experiment with different oils or make chicken schnitzel to compare. I still have much to learn in the kitchen, but this was a pretty awesome start.
Now, I’m wondering what I should cook next – maybe something with even more crunch! See you on my next cooking adventure!
Jaden
