Schnitzel with mashed potatoes and red cabbage

Germans love their schnitzel. It's served year round and tastes just as delicious in a beer garden on a balmy summer’s night as in a snowed-in cosy cottage up in the Alps. Best of all, you can eat it cold the next day too.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  4

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Red cabbage

• 1 kg red cabbage
• 50 g goose fat (see Note)
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 2 apples, peeled and finely diced
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) red wine

Mashed potatoes

• 1 kg desiree potatoes, peeled and diced
• 250 ml (1 cup) warm milk
• 60 g butter
• pinch of nutmeg
• parsley, chopped for garnish

Schnitzel

• 4 pork loin steaks (750 g), trimmed
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 100 g dried breadcrumbs
• 100 ml oil, for frying
• 40 g butter, for frying
• salt and pepper
• 1 lemon, cut in 4 wedges

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.

Instructions

To make red cabbage, remove and discard the outside leaves from the cabbage and slice finely. Heat goose fat in a heavy based pan over medium heat. Add onions, apples and sugar. Cook until onions are soft and golden (8 minutes). Add sliced cabbage and vinegar. Cook cabbage slowly for 10 minutes. Add 250 ml (1 cup) water, bay leaf and cloves, and season to taste. Cover and cook slowly for 30 to 45 minutes until soft. Add flour and stir until it thickens, add red wine and mix well.

Meanwhile, to prepare the potatoes, bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, add potatoes, reduce heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside for a minute. Place back into warm saucepan on low heat to dry for 2 minutes, stirring. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes. Add milk, stir to combine, then add butter. Beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy. Add nutmeg, season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile cut pork steaks in half horizontally. Using a meat mallet, pound each piece of pork until 3 mm thick. Whisk eggs with milk in a bowl and place flour in a second bowl, season to taste, and place breadcrumbs into a third bowl. Dust pork with flour, dip in egg mixture and coat in breadcrumbs.  Heat half the oil and butter in a very large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry half the coated pork for a few minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towel. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve schnitzel with mashed potatoes, parsley, red cabbage and lemon wedges.

Note

• Goose fat is available from selected delicatessens. If unavailable, use duck fat or butter.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Michelle Noerianto. Food preparation by Nick Banbury.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.