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JB's French Pork Schnitzel
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5 from 5 votes

JB's French Pork Schnitzel

Recipe video above. These schnitzels are just like your regular crumbed pork cutlets with a French twist. Coated in Herbes de Provence breadcrumbs and pan-fried until crisp and beautifully golden. Let’s go!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course, Western
Cuisine: French, French influence
Keyword: pork schnitzel, Schnitzel, schnitzel recipe
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 387cal
Author: Chef JB (RecipeTin)

Ingredients

  • 4 pork steaks or chops (125g to 150g / 4.4oz to 5.3oz each) (Note 1)
  • 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

CRUMBING AND COOKING:

  • 1/3 cup plain flour / all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly whisked , from large eggs (55g / 2oz each in shell)
  • 1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 2)
  • 3 tbsp herbes de Provence (Note 3)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil , or any other neutral flavoured oil

TO FINISH:

  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • sea salt flakes

HERBES DE PROVENCE:

  • 4 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 1/4 tsp dried marjoram or savory , sub with more thyme or rosemary
  • 3/4 tsp dried oregano
Cups - Metric

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE

  • Pound pork to 0.5cm / 0.2″, season with salt and pepper. Coat in flour, egg, then panko mixed with herbes de Provence. Fry over medium-high heat 2 minutes per side until golden. 

FULL RECIPE

    PREPARATION

    • Preheat the oven to 70°C / 160°F (all ovens).
    • Pound the pork - Place the pork between two sheets of baking paper / parchment paper or freezer bags. (Note 3) Pound with a meat mallet until evenly 0.5 cm / 0.2 inch thick. (Note 4)
    • Season - Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.

    CRUMBING AND COOKING

    • Prepare the crumbing station - Place flour, eggs, and panko mixed with herbes de Provence in three separate bowls. (Note 6)
    • Crumb - Coat pork in flour and shake off excess. Dip in egg and let excess drip off. Press into the breadcrumb mixture so it sticks well. Transfer on a tray and repeat with remaining pork.
    • Cook the schnitzels - Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, it should be 0.4cm / 0.15" deep. When hot, add 2 schnitzels. Cook 2 minutes until golden. Flip and cook the other side 2 minutes. Transfer to a rack over a tray and place in the warm oven. Repeat with the remaining two schnitzels. (Note 7)
    • Rest and Serve - Let the schnitzels rest on the rack outside of the oven for 2 minutes before serving with a wedge of lemon and a sprinkle of salt flakes.

    Notes

    1. Pork cuts - Pork schnitzel can be made from pretty much any pork chops or steaks suitable for quick cooking, such as: 
    • sirloin steaks - This is my favourite cut because it's lean and tender and it doesn't have too much fat.
    • loin chops
    • loin medallions
    • loin steaks
    • sizzle steaks - Just make sure they are not pre-pounded less than 0.5cm / 2", as that is too thin and it will overcook too quickly and dry out. Controlling the thickness yourself is a key to a juicy result!
    If your pork has bone in it, just remove it and also trim off any excess fat. You could also cut pork tenderloin into medallions and make more smaller schnitzels. Pork scotch fillet (neck) would work too.
    Slow cooking cuts such as shoulder are not suitable and pork belly is too fatty so I don't recommend using these.
    2. Panko breadcrumbs - Japanese-style breadcrumbs that are lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs. They create the extra crunchy crust we want for schnitzel.
    3. Herbes de Provence - Key ingredients here, probably the most used herb blend in France. Commonly used to season roast dishes. In France, savory (sarriette) is traditionally always part of the blend. However, it can be quite hard to find in many countries. If you can’t get it, marjoram is the best substitute, as it has a similar gentle herbal flavour.
    4. Sheets for pounding – I use a product called “Go Between” which is like freezer bags but they are sheets used to keep food separated in the freezer without sticking to each other. It comes in a roll like cling wrap, brand is Glad (Australia). You can use parchment/baking paper or freezer bags as well.
    5. Pounding - If you don’t have a meat mallet, a rolling pin, the back of a small frying pan or anything of similar shape/heaviness will work just fine. 
    6. Crumbing station - Make sure the bowls are large enough so you have enough room to easily coat the pork without struggling or making a mess. You can also use shallow trays or plates instead of bowls for the flour and breadcrumbs. 
    7. Oil temperature - Use your judgement when frying the schnitzels. If the crumb is browning too quickly, the heat is likely too high and should be lowered so the pork has time to cook through. If the schnitzels are taking too long to colour, the heat may be too low. So adjust the heat as needed so the schnitzels cook to a golden and crisp crumb.
    Leftovers and Storage - Best eaten fresh but leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven at 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan) until heated through to bring back some the crispness. Avoid reheating in the microwave as it will soften the crumb.
    Freezing - Can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container with baking paper or "Go-Between" between each schnitzel so they don’t stick together. Thaw over a rack in the fridge before reheating. 
    Nutrition per serving.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 387cal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 603mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 7mg