What's The Best Cut Of Pork For Schnitzel?

A well-executed pork schnitzel delights with a tantalizing combination of qualities. Crispy on the outside, with a meaty interior and a balanced pork flavor, it's one of the best dishes to make affordable cuts shine. Intertwined with the cuisines of Austria, Germany, and Northern Italy, the food works fabulously with several meats, from chicken and turkey to veal. So, unsurprisingly, several options are also fit for pork schnitzel — many cuts are commonly employed.

Nevertheless, some options are better than others, lending a bit more tenderness, flavor, and ease of cooking. For a classic pork schnitzel, the best candidate is a boneless loin chop. Although on the leaner side, it's also one of the most flavorful pork cuts due to its sourcing from the top loin. All the while, there's an absence of connective tissue and fat marbling, meaning it's texturally consistent. A small external layer of fat keeps the pork moist, especially after the cut's pounded into a surface area several magnitudes wider. Once breaded and fried, the loin chop produces a perfect pork schnitzel, a cut above the rest.

In a traditional schnitzel, the pork is pounded to a thin consistency, making it difficult to visually differentiate among pork cuts once cooked. The flattening technique not only tenderizes the meat but also establishes a uniform thickness that lends a perfect contrast to the crispy batter. If you're making a Vienna-style schnitzel, you'll also want to generate an airy bubble between the breading and the meat. The boneless loin makes such a preparation style extra easy; it'll effortlessly flatten into a wide and thin fillet. Meanwhile, its uniform fat distribution ensures that the cut cooks evenly yet still comes out flavorful.

However, there are also other delicious schnitzel renditions. For example, reach for a bone-in loin cutlet for a darker, meat-heavy dish. Although it won't yield schnitzel with the same uniformity, this cut offers a more meaty flavor. Alternatively, you can also employ a pork cut with a thicker slice, with less pounding involved. Consider a schnitzel cooked more akin to a differentiated Japanese-style katsu — which reaches for either pork loin or tenderloin — showcasing a heftier side to fried pork. Whichever cut you choose, just make sure to trim off surface connective tissue and fat; uniformity benefits this dish.