Weinerschnitzel Recipe

Prepare the beef

Trim any excess fat or silver skin from each steak. Place a steak between two pieces of plastic wrap or in a large zip-top bag and, using a meat mallet or heavy skillet, gently pound from center outward until each steak is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3–6 mm) thick. Repeat with remaining steaks.

Season and set up dredging station

Season both sides of the flattened steaks with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow plate. In a second shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk until smooth. Place the breadcrumbs in a third shallow plate or tray.

Dredge the steaks

Working one at a time, lightly coat a steak in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then press into breadcrumbs to fully coat. Gently press breadcrumbs on edges. Transfer to a wire rack and let rest 10 minutes so coating adheres.

Fry the schnitzel

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons neutral oil. When the butter foams and is hot but not smoking, add 2 steaks (do not crowd). Fry 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter/oil and steaks, adjusting heat to avoid burning. Total cook time per batch should yield an internal temperature of 130–135°F (55–57°C) for medium-rare to medium; cook longer if desired.

Keep warm

Place cooked schnitzels on a warm platter and cover loosely. Reserve pan drippings in the skillet for making the sauce.

Sauté shallot

Reduce heat to medium. Remove excess fat from the skillet leaving about 1–2 tablespoons of drippings. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the skillet. When melted, add the minced shallot and sauté 1–2 minutes until translucent but not browned.

Make a roux

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over the shallot and stir continuously for about 1 minute to cook the flour and form a light roux.

Deglaze and build sauce

Carefully pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by half (about 1–2 minutes). Gradually whisk in the beef stock until smooth and bring to a gentle simmer.

Finish sauce

Simmer the sauce 3–5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and rinsed capers. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. If sauce is too thin, simmer another minute; if too thick, add a splash of stock.

Mount with butter and herbs

Off the heat, whisk in 1 tablespoon cold butter to give the sauce a glossy finish. Stir in chopped parsley if using.

Serve

Place schnitzels on plates, spoon warm brown sauce with capers over or alongside each schnitzel. Garnish with lemon wedges for squeezing and scatter a few extra capers on top.

If serving breakfast style, prepare fried eggs and hash browns separately. Top each schnitzel with a fried egg and serve with the potatoes on the side. Spoon sauce around but avoid drowning the egg if you want the yolk to remain runny.