Austrian Pork Schnitzel

At Wirtshaus Zwettler’s in Salzburg, chef Thomas Partl gave us a lesson in making proper Wienerschnitzel. We learned that the meat must be pounded especially thin, the breading should be only a light coating and clarified butter is essential for frying. Additionally, moving the pan during cooking is key, as it keeps fat flowing over the cutlets, eliminating the need to flip them. The result: evenly browned cutlets with the signature wavy, puckered breading that, when cut into, reveals its thinness, along with air pockets just beneath. For our re-creation of Partl’s Schnitzel, we switched to pork, though veal works as well (see recipe below). Store-bought breadcrumbs taste stale and dusty, so we make our own using kaiser rolls. For frying, we combine equal amounts of neutral oil and ghee (or clarified butter), and instead of a skillet, we use a Dutch oven; its depth better contains the hot fat as it washes over the cutlets. Serve with lemon wedges and, if you like, lingonberry sauce.