Austria: Pork Wiener Schnitzel, Asparagus Risotto & Bacon-Braised Root Vegetables



Austria is a Europe culinary powerhouse. For more than a thousand years Austria’s capital city Vienna has been the country’s epicentre of culinary evolution. So, it is not surprising that Viennese cuisine is often considered to be synonymous with Austrian cuisine. In truth, Austria has many unique regional food practices beyond Vienna. And yet, Viennese cuisine is a force unto its own, being arguably the only globally recognised food culture to be named after a city. 

So how did that happen? Vienna absorbed the culinary wisdoms of Italy and France in the 17thand 18thcenturies. This adaptation of food practices was due to the Austrian Royal Family’s tendency to marry with the Royal houses of neighbouring countries. Brides brought their chefs with them, so the food of Austria became a melting pot of the best food techniques from across Europe.

The geographical borders of Austria have changed over time and it is now ‘landlocked’ (blocked from the sea), by  a circle of eight neighbouring countries. Officially known as the Republic of Austria, this predominantly alpine country is bordered by Slovenia and Italy to the south, Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, and in the north are the Czech Republic and Germany. 


Our Austrian menu included:
Pork Wiener Schnitzel
Asparagus Risotto
&
Bacon-Braised Root Vegetables

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WIENER SCHNITZEL

Ingredients :
·     6 x Boneless pork tenderloin chops/cutlets
·     250 ml Sunflower oil
·     80gm of flour (plus a bit more if needed)
·     200 gm of breadcrumbs (plus a bit more if needed)
·     2 eggs
·     2 pinch salt
·     Small pinch white pepper

Method:
1.    We begin by flattening the cutlets 
2.    This process can be done a few hours before the ‘bread crumbing’ of the schnitzel
3.    If time is tight, you should allow at least 20 minutes for the meat to chill in the refrigerator between when it has been hammered, and when it is crumbed. This allows the meat to relax and recover. A rest in the fridge also takes the temperature of the meat down which makes the ‘breading’ process more successful
4.    Lay a large piece of heavy grade kitchen paper or cling filmon a large chopping board and place the cutlets on top so each one is about 6 cm from touching another
5.    Put a few drops of vegetable oil on each cutlet then cover them with another sheet of kitchen paper/cling film to create a large ‘sandwich’ with the cutlets in the middle
6.    Flatten the cutlets using a schnitzel hammer or meat tenderiser. If you don’t have either of those, you can use a small heavy fry pan.
7.    Use a moderately firm hand with the hammer but don’t smash the meat with too much force as that will rip the cutlets apart
8.     Beat each piece of meat until they are beginning to thin then flip over the entire ‘sandwich’ and repeat the process on the other side. This ensures that both sides are equally tender and will prevent schnitzels from rolling up in the pan when they are being cooked
9.    Gently keep hammering the meat until it is between 4 and 6 mm thin
10.        Nick a few short cuts into the outer areas of the flattened cutlets to 
            further ensure they stay flat when cooking
11.        Transfer the cutlet ‘sandwich’ to the fridge. The hammered meat must 
      be covered on all sides or it will dry out
12.        The meat can sit in the refrigerator now for between 20 minutes and a 
      few hours, depending on your plans
13.        Now you are ready to ‘breadcrumb’ the schnitzels
14.        Clear a space as wide a 5 dinner plates in your kitchen
15.        Beat the eggs together in a large flat dish using a fork
16.        Mix the flour with the salt and pepper and on a large dinner plate
17.         Put the breadcrumbs on another dinner plate 
18.        Make a production line for the breadcrumbing of the schnitzel. 
19.        There will be 5 plates in the line in this order: 
·     hammered cutlets
·     seasoned flour
·     egg mix
·     breadcrumbs
·     then an empty plate for the competed schnitzels
20.        It is important that each ‘plate’ remains clean of the ingredients from 
      the other plates, so you will also need close access to either a sink, or a 
      dish of water and a hand towel  near to you to wash your hands if your  
       fingers become ‘breadcrumbed’
21.        So now that the production line is ready let’s begin making schnitzel
22.        You will be taking each piece of cutlet through all the process 
       individually
23.        Take one schnitzel and press it into the flour on one  
     side. Lift it up, dust off any excess flour if necessary then repeat on 
           the other side
24.        then pull the meat through the eggsensuring that no part of the 
      schnitzel remains dry. Lift it up by the corner for a few seconds to let
      any excess egg drain off
25.        Now place it flat in the breadcrumbs, flip it over back into the crumbs 
      and press on the back of the cutlet to get a good breadcrumb coverage.   
            Turn it over again & repeat. Make sure the breadcrumbs cover the   
            entire cutlet.
26.        At this point it is good to refrigerate the schnitzel to encourage the  
      coating to bind.
27.        That could be for 10 minutes or if you are preparing ahead of time it 
       could be for a few hours.
28.        If you leave them in the fridge for a few hours and find the breadcrumbs 
      have become a little moist, you should re-press them in breadcrumbs on  
      both sides before beginning the cooking process
29.        Now you are ready to cook the schnitzel
30.        In a large pan with a heavy bottom (or 2 medium-sized pans), heat                          
      enough vegetable oil  for the schnitzel to be able to swim freely 
31.        Only place the Schnitzel in the pan when the oil is so hot that it 
      hisses and bubbles up if some breadcrumbs are dropped in
32.        Actively use a metal spatula of egg flip from the minute the schnitzel 
      hits the hot oil to ensure the schnitzel doesn’t stick to the frypan  as   
            that will end up in pulling the crumbs off the meat
33.        Keep moving the cutlets with spatula or tongues to generate an even 
      gold brown colour on the first side. 
34.        Turn schnitzels over at least once and potentially several times unti
      they are golden brown on both sides.
35.        Put the Schnitzel on a sheet of paper kitchen towel which will absorb 
      the oil.

This is a q-zine original recipe informed by several sources including:
https://www.austria.info/uk/things-to-do/food-and-drink/favourite-austrian-recipes/wiener-schnitzel


ASPARAGUS RISOTTO
Ingredients:
·     1 bunch asparagus (about 8 spears)
·     6 shallots
·     2 tablespoons olive oil
·     400ml Risotto Rice
·     200 ml dry white wine
·     1 L  chicken broth
·     80 gm fresh Parmesan, shaved
·     2 tbs fresh chopped dill
·     Juice ½ a Lemon
·     ¼ tsp Salt
·     Pinch freshly ground black Pepper
·     Pinch nutmeg
·     2 tsp butter

Note: regarding the wine, I used Pinot Gris. This grape/wine variety has been grown in Austria for almost 8 centuries where it is known as Grauburgunder.

Method:
1.    Begin by preparing asparagus. 
2.    Cut the woody bottom off the asparagus (1 -2 cm), and discard
3.    Cut the tips off (approximately 4 cm long), and keep aside
4.     Take the ‘middle’ sections of the asparagus and partially peel the full length of each spear – that is, peel a few strips off leaving some parts unpeeled
5.    Cut the ‘middles’ into 1cm pieces and keep aside
6.    Clean the shallots and discard the very green tops
7.    Finely chop the shallots Take medium sized pot with a thick base
and briefly sauté them in olive oil
8.    Add the Risotto and sauté for a short amount of time until the rice grains are glazed.
9.    Add the white wine, stir well and turn the heat down to low-medium
10.        let cook in the open pot until the liquid is gonestirring constantly to  
      prevent the rice sticking to the pot
11.        Add salt, pepper and some of the stock (about 200ml), and stir t
      combine
12.        Keep stirring, cooking  and as the rice absorbs the liquid adding small 
      amounts of stock for 10 minutes
13.        Add the asparagus middle cuts and continue as above for 10 minutes
14.        Add the asparagus tips and nutmeg and continue as above for 5 minutes 
      or until the rice is soft and asparagus is cooked
15.        Remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid and let the rice sit to rest 
      for a few minutes 
16.        When ready to serve the rice fold through the butter, lemon juice, 
      Parmesan and dill

This is a q-zine original recipe informed by several sources including:

BACON-BRAISED ROOT VEGETABLES
Ingredients:
·     2 large sweet Carrots (avoid carrots with green ends as they can be bitter)
·     1 Turnip
·     1 Parsnip or Swede
·     1 large Beetroot
·     200 gm fat-rich rindless bacon
·     2 tbs olive oil
·     100 ml Beef Stock

Method:
1.    Begin by cutting the bacon into batons 3 cm long by 3ml wide
2.    Peel vegetables and cut into batons the same size as the bacon
3.    Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the bacon on medium heat until it begins to crisp and the fat begins to liquify
4.    Now toss in the root vegetable batons and fry in the bacon fat for a few minutes.
5.    Pour in the stock and stir the pot well with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrap any bits of bacon and flavour-rich stickiness from the bottom of the pot into the stock (this will help to form the sauce and also prevent the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pot)
6.    Turn the heat to low-medium and cover the pot with a tight lid so the vegies can braise in the stock
7.    Gently stir the pot occasionally with the wooden spoon to ensure even cooking time
8.    Braise the vegetables in the stock until they are al dente and the stock has reduced to a syrupy sauce. This should take about 8-10 minutes. 

This is a q-zine original recipe informed by several sources including:



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