How to crumb schnitzel (and other things too)
Wet hand, dry hand, wet hand, dry hand. If there’s one mantra you need to bring to the crumbing table, it’s that. Yep – the key to crumbing schnitzels, or anything really, is to use one hand for dunking your meat (or whatever) into the wet mixture (in this case beaten egg), and the other for dunking into the dry ones. Otherwise, you get crumbage stuck all over your fingers and the job quickly gets really messy. The other thing to do is have a neat, organised work station, and get all your crumbing ingredients in bowls or containers ready to go before you begin. Try not to crumb too far in advance of cooking or your crumbs can get damp and not turn crisp when you cook. Otherwise, it’s dead easy. Try adding different chopped herbs or even grated hard cheese (Chicken schnitty tenders with caper mayo) to your crumbs for a different flavour.
Here, we used about 1 cup flour, 2-3 eggs whisked with 60ml water and about 2 cups panko breadcrumbs for 4-5 medium-sized beef schnitzels.
1. Use a meat mallet to gently pound each slice of meat (or chicken) until it has a consistent thickness. This will help it cook evenly.
2. Get all your crumbing bits and pieces organised in bowls before starting; in this case it’s flour, egg and panko. Make sure your bowls are large enough to easily accommodate pieces of whatever you’re crumbing. Whisk your eggs with a dash of milk or water to thin a little. Add about 1 tbsp liquid per egg. Season the flour with salt and pepper.
3. Working with one piece of meat at a time, lightly dust in the flour, shaking off any excess.
4. Dip the floured meat into the beaten egg mixture, allowing excess egg to drain off before adding to the crumbs.
5. Dip in the crumbs, using your hand to press the crumbs on to coat.
6. As you go, place your schnitzels on a lined plate or tray, ready for cooking.
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