Pork or chicken meat, crispy breadcrumbs, lightly salted egg, English bacon, and onion make up these unconventional reverse schnitzels. A quick fry gives them color, while finishing them in the oven under foil keeps them tender and juicy.
Unlike the classic breading method, here the meat is first coated in breadcrumbs and only then dipped in beaten egg. This simple technique works for both pork and chicken. Serve the finished schnitzels with potato salad or your favorite side dish.
What You’ll Need
- pork or chicken meat of your choice,
- salt,
- pepper,
- mustard or garlic, optional,
- breadcrumbs,
- egg, salted and beaten,
- oil for frying,
- butter for greasing the baking tray,
- English bacon,
- onion to taste.
The original recipe does not specify exact quantities, so adjust according to the number of servings and amount of meat you are preparing.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the Meat: Pound the chosen pork or chicken to the desired thickness. Season both sides of each slice with salt and pepper.
2. Seasoning the Schnitzels: If you want to enhance the flavor, brush the slices with mustard or garlic to taste. This step is optional, so you can leave the meat simply salted and peppered.
3. Preparing the Coating: Pour breadcrumbs into one bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg and lightly salt it, so it’s ready for breading the meat.
4. Reverse Breading: First, thoroughly coat the meat in breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs firmly into each slice so they stick well and form a crispy crust after frying. Then dip the schnitzels into the salted beaten egg.
5. Quick Frying: Heat oil well in a pan and fry the coated schnitzels as you would bread dipped in egg. Once the meat is golden, remove from the pan. At this stage, you don’t need to cook them through, as they will finish baking in the oven.
6. Preparing the Baking Tray: Grease a baking tray with butter and arrange the briefly fried schnitzels on it. Add English bacon and, if you like, onion, which will blend with the meat juices during baking.
7. Baking Under Foil: Cover the tray with aluminum foil and place in an oven preheated to 180–190°C. Bake the schnitzels for about 30 minutes, so the meat cooks through and stays tender and juicy.
8. Finishing and Serving: Shortly before the end of baking, remove the foil and let the schnitzels finish uncovered. Serve the hot meat, for example with potato salad or another favorite side dish.
Why Are the Schnitzels Breaded in Reverse?
This recipe skips the classic order of flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Here, breadcrumbs are pressed directly into the seasoned meat, and only then are the slices dipped into the beaten egg. This reverse method is what sets the recipe apart from regular fried schnitzels.
Pressing the breadcrumbs in well is important because it helps create a continuous coating. The schnitzels are then fried only until colored, and the preparation is finished in the oven.
How to Keep the Meat Juicy
First, the schnitzels are quickly fried, then baked covered with foil. Covering them for most of the baking helps keep the meat tender and juicy, while the English bacon, onion, and butter add to the final flavor.
Remove the foil only shortly before the end. This allows the surface to finish baking without exposing the schnitzels to direct oven heat the entire time.
Final Tip
You can make this recipe with either pork or chicken, depending on your preference. Mustard, garlic, and onion are optional, so you can easily adjust the final flavor. Potato salad is a great side, but you can use any side dish you like.
