Schnitzel With Noodles?

We watched the Sound of Music as a family the other night.  It is always a treat, and in our family usually turns into a sing-a-long too.  One of our favorite things is the scene where Maria sings to the Von Trapp children about what to do when things are bad or when you sad. She tells them through song “I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad!”  What are those “favorite things?”  For Maria there is quite a list.  Most of them we are familiar with. There are:

Raindrops on roses
Whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles
Warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of her favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on your nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into Springs
These are a few of her favorite things

Cream colored ponies
Crisp apple strudels
Doorbells
Sleigh bells
Schnitzel with noodles
…..wait….what?  What exactly is schnitzel with noodles?

As many times as I have heard and sung that wonderful song, the other evening for the first time I really questioned what schnitzel with noodles might be.  I thought I had an idea, but since I wasn’t sure, I took to Google to look it up.  Having recently made thinly sliced sautéd boneless pork chops for dinner I was interested to see that schnitzel was a variation of that.  Basically schnitzel is boneless, thinly sliced, or pounded, pork chops (or in some places it is veal) coated with breading and fried until crisp then served over noodles.

The most common, or favorite noodle in Austria, Germany and Eastern Europe , is called spaetzle.  If you have a specialty or gourmet store in your area, they may carry them.  Or, you can order them from Amazon here  You can also use wide egg noodles in place of spaetzle.  Simply cook the noodles in salted boiling water until they are al dente.  Melt butter on the noodles and keep warm until the schnitzel is ready.

Schnitzel isn’t so much made with a recipe as it is made with a method.  To make schnitzel, take thinly sliced boneless pork chops about 1/4 inch thick, or pound thicker pork chops until they are 1/4 inch thick.  Dredge the pork in flour seasoned with salt and pepper.  Then coat the floured pork chops with beaten egg.  Next dredge the chops again with finely crushed saltine crackers.  Heat about 1/4″ of grape seed or sunflower oil in a heavy frying pan.  Fry on medium high heat until golden brown about 3 minutes, and then turn to the other side and fry again until browned.  Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until all the chops are finished.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Serve over noodles that are buttered, with a slice of lemon for squeezing.

Now queue up The Sound of Music and sing your hearts out.  After all the Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music and schnitzel with noodles may just turn out to be one of your favorite things 🙂

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