Keeping very busy

By: 
Keith Bryant
 We added a new twist to our lives on Friday. An 8 week old puppy I named Groot came to live with us. He has kept me on my toes and made my trips to the store short. But, I had time this past weekend to go shopping. 
 I ran across someone buying pork chops and commented on how good they looked. She said she was making Schnitzel for dinner and I thought that would be a great idea. It has been a little while since I cooked German and this would be a good meal to cook on Sunday after spending the day in the yard.
 A Schnitzel is meat, thinned by pounding with a meat tenderizer, coated with flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs, and then fried. 
 The schnitzel originated in Austria and is popular in many countries. Is made using either veal, mutton, chicken, beef, turkey, reindeer or pork. 
 The term Wiener Schnitzel is a protected geographical indication in Austria and Germany and can only be made of veal. When pork is used, the dish must be called Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein or Schnitzel nach Wiener Art to differentiate it from the veal original. In the United States it is normally termed as a breaded cutlet.
 The secret to getting a good Schnitzel is making sure you pound the meat with a mallet or back end of a knife so that it is thin and can cook quickly and evenly. Since I was cooking German anyway I decided to make a little Spaetzle to go with it. 
 Spaetzle means literally “little sparrows,” due to the way it looks when done and the light and airiness of the pasta. 
 Traditionally, Spaetzle is made by scraping long, thin strips of dough off a wooden chopping board into boiling salted water where they cook until they rise to the surface. Altogether, the dough should be as viscous as to slowly flow apart if cut into strips with a knife, yet hold the initial shape for some seconds. 
 If dropped into boiling water, the egg white will congeal quickly in the boiling water while the yolk will keep the dough succulent. After the noodles have become firm, they are skimmed and put aside.
 Next time you want to add a little European flair to your evening meal give these two a try and have something a little different at dinner.
Homemade German Spaetzle
Ingredients
Spaetzle
4 eggs
⅓ cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups all­purpose flour
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Directions: 
 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt. Add in the flour and stir until well combined.
 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Place your spaetzle maker over the top, then pour half of the batter into the cup of the device. Quickly slide the cup back and forth to allow the batter to drop through. Repeat with second half of batter, working quickly until all the batter is cooking in the pot.
 3. Set the spaetzle maker aside and give the dumplings a good stir in the pot. Let them cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until floating on the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl. Toss with butter and spices. Serve warm.
Schnitzel
4 boneless pork chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all­purpose flour combined with 1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
1. Place the pork chops between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them until just ¼ inch thick with the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Lightly season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
 2. Place the flour mixture, egg, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dip the chops in the flour, the egg, and the breadcrumbs, coating both sides and all edges at each stage. Be careful not to press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Gently shake off the excess crumbs. Don’t let the schnitzel sit in the coating or they will not be as crispy once fried fry immediately.
 3. Make sure the cooking oil is hot enough at this point (about 330 degrees F) as you don’t want the Schnitzel to sit around in the coating before frying. Use enough oil so that the Schnitzels “swim” in it.
 4. Fry the Schnitzel for about 2­3 minutes on both sides until a deep golden brown. Transfer briefly to a plate lined with paper towels.
 5. Serve immediately with slices of fresh lemon and parsley sprigs or with your choice of sauce.
 Serves 4.
 
 
 
 
 

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