Pork Schnitzel Wiener Art with Erdäpfelsalat

Breaded cutlets are already a reliable dinner for us, so the question with this one is technique rather than acceptance. I want to learn the Viennese details that produce the famous souffléd crust: a very thin cutlet, breadcrumbs pressed on only lightly, and enough hot fat that the cutlet floats and can be swirled. The potato salad is the second lesson; the warm broth-and-vinegar dressing is nothing like the American picnic version. The dinner is weeknight-feasible because pork cutlets are cheap, the salad cooks while you bread, and frying takes three minutes a side.

• Pork loin cutlets: Buy boneless loin chops or pre-sliced cutlets about 1/2 inch thick, then pound them to 1/4 inch between sheets of plastic wrap. Thin is the whole game. Chicken breast, butterflied and pounded, is the honest substitute.
• Fine dry breadcrumbs: Plain, unseasoned, fine-textured crumbs (not panko, which is too coarse for the classic crust). Austrians use Semmelbrösel from day-old rolls; supermarket plain breadcrumbs are close.
• Clarified butter or neutral oil: Tradition says lard or clarified butter. A 50/50 mix of butter and neutral oil gives the flavor without burning.
• Waxy potatoes: Yukon Gold or red potatoes slice cleanly and soak up the dressing without falling apart.
• White wine vinegar and mustard: The potato salad's dressing is warm beef or vegetable broth, vinegar, a little mustard and sugar, and minced onion. Apple cider vinegar works if that is what you have.

1. Scrub the potatoes and put them whole, skins on, in a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer 18–22 minutes until a knife meets no resistance.
2. While they cook, mince the onion very fine. In a bowl, whisk the warm broth with the vinegar, mustard, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper.
3. Trim any fat from the pork. Lay each piece between sheets of plastic wrap and pound it with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet to an even 1/4 inch. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
4. Set up three shallow dishes: flour in the first, the eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon water in the second, breadcrumbs in the third.
5. Bread the cutlets: flour, shaking off the excess; egg, letting it drip; then breadcrumbs, pressing only gently so the crust can puff. Lay them on a rack, not touching, while the potatoes finish. Cut the lemon into wedges and chop the parsley.

1. Drain the potatoes. As soon as you can handle them, peel the skins away with a small knife (they slip off) and slice 1/4 inch thick into a bowl. Pour the warm broth dressing over them while they are still hot, add the onion and 2 tablespoons oil, and fold gently. Leave to soak while you fry; it should look a little soupy and will tighten as it cools.
2. In a large skillet, heat the butter and 1/2 cup oil over medium-high until a breadcrumb sizzles instantly, about 340–350°F. The fat should be at least 1/4 inch deep.
3. Lay in one or two cutlets without crowding. Fry 2–3 minutes, gently rocking the pan so hot fat washes over the top; this is what makes the crust ripple and separate from the meat. Flip and fry 2 minutes more until deep golden.
4. Drain on a rack or paper towels and salt lightly. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding a little oil if the level drops.
5. Taste the potato salad; add a splash more vinegar or salt as needed and stir in half the parsley.

A whole cutlet (or two small ones) on each plate with a lemon wedge on top, a generous spoon of potato salad beside it, and a few lettuce leaves if you like. The rest of the parsley goes over everything. This dinner has no heat at all, so plates are identical; the only thing I might do differently for my son is cut his cutlet into strips, which he can dip in the salad dressing. Schnitzel does not reheat gracefully, but a cold cutlet in a roll with mustard is a legitimate Austrian lunch.