A thin, breaded cutlet fried in clarified butter — Austria's Wiener Schnitzel must be veal; Germany's Schnitzel uses pork; both are pounded paper-thin, coated in flour, egg wash, and fine breadcrumbs, and fried until golden.
The legal distinction
In Austria, a product labelled Wiener Schnitzel must be made from veal by law. The pork version must be called Schnitzel Wiener Art (Viennese-style schnitzel). This distinction matters to Austrians intensely. The German version is almost always made from pork (Schweineschnitzel) and carries no geographical protection.
Pounding and breadcrumbing
The meat is pounded to 4–6 mm thickness using a meat mallet — this tenderises by breaking muscle fibres and ensures even, rapid cooking. After pounding, the Viennese technique specifies: flour first (absorbs surface moisture), then egg wash (binds the breadcrumbs), then very fine fresh breadcrumbs (Semmelbrösel). The breaded schnitzel should not be pressed — the breadcrumb coating is deliberately loose, allowing the coating to “soufflé” away from the meat in the hot fat, creating a wavy, airy texture.
The clarified butter rule
Wiener Schnitzel is fried in clarified butter (Butterschmalz) or lard, not vegetable oil. The fat must be deep enough that the schnitzel swims — this is not a shallow fry. The pan is tilted to baste the top continuously.
The wave
A properly made Wiener Schnitzel has a wavy (wellenförmig) coating — the breadcrumbs detach slightly from the meat and form crispy bubbles. This is achievable only with loose, un-pressed breadcrumbs and deep, generous fat. A flat, tight coating indicates incorrect technique.