Pork Schnitzel with Parmesan Roasted Potatoes | Fall Recipes

Oktoberfest is something everyone seems to love to celebrate. While brainstorming recipe ideas for fall, I wanted to include at least one that screams Oktoberfest. Cue the research on schnitzel. Turns out, schnitzel is a type of cooking not an actual recipe name. When you have pork schnitzel, veal schnitzel, chicken schnitzel...whatever meat schnitzel floats your boat...all it means is that the cutlet of meat is pounded super thin and breaded. I could get into the history of schnitzel and even get into the nitty gritty of technical names but Eastern European languages are not my specialty. Bottom line, you need a thin cut of meat, lots of breadcrumbs and ideally some sort of pureed fruit or vegetable to go alongside (ex. Applesauce, mashed potatoes).

Being someone who likes to mix things up, I stuck with a traditional pork schnitzel (with extra seasoning) and roasted some potatoes to serve alongside instead of a traditional applesauce or mashed number. It seems I have a hard time letting go of my Italian roots because it’s impossible for me to make a savory dish without garlic...or seasoning for that matter. If there’s one thing you can count on with schnitzel, it’s that the breading is super simple without much to it. This recipe kicks it up a notch for bomb flavors.

My secret to a perfectly roasted potato is low and slow. I may have already talked about roasting potatoes but it never hurts to drive the point home. Think of potatoes like cookies. If you cook them too high, the outside will brown to fast before the inside is able to catch up. Result: burnt, inedible cookie. For potatoes, it’s a burnt, al dente potato. You want the inside to cook so that it gets super fluffy and the outside should have a nice, crispy crust. It’s the ultimate roasted potato. These are also tossed with spices, herbs and cheese making them irresistible. I’m serious, I dare you to stop eating them. They almost outshine the schnitzel. So crack open a beer, and dig in. This is an Oktoberfest feast you’ll be having every week this fall.

Pork Schnitzel with Parmesan Herb Potatoes
Ingredients:
4-6 Yellow Potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ cup Flour
⅛ tsp. Pepper
¼ tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 cup Breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. Fresh Herbs (Parsley, Oregano, Thyme)
¼ Vegetable or Grapeseed Oil
4 Pork Cutlets, pounded to ½ inch thick
Salt & Pepper (for seasoning the potatoes)

Directions:
1 - Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Parmesan Cheese, salt and pepper. Roast 45-50 minutes until crisp and fork tender.

2 - Prep the meat. Place three bowls on the counter. To one, add the flour, salt and pepper. To the second, whisk the eggs. In the third, mix the breadcrumbs and herbs.

3 - Heat the vegetable or grapeseed oil into a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Coat each cutlet in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Place in the skillet and cook to golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Serve with a simple salad and the roasted potatoes.