One of the best-known dishes of Austrian cuisine, the Wiener schnitzel is a thinned, breaded, and pan-fried veal cutlet that is traditionally served with a dollop of lingonberry jam, lemon wedges, and either buttered parsley potatoes, a simple potato salad, or french fries.
The dish is protected under Austrian law, and—if it is to be called Wiener schnitzel—it must be made with veal.
But sadly, these days, the schnitzel made with pork is what most people consider the real-deal Wiener schnitzel. Even Figlmüller, probably the most popular schnitzel spot in Vienna, offers both the Wiener schnitzel made with pork and the one made with veal.
Despite this dish being one of Austria's most popular offerings, it has been suggested that this Austrian national dish was actually invented elsewhere. According to one legend, in the 19th century, Austrian field marshal Josef Radetzky supposedly brought the schnitzel to Vienna upon returning home from Italy, where he had enjoyed the Milanese cotoletta, a dish that bears quite a strong resemblance to the Viennese classic.
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Published by the Austrian Tourist Board, this recipe gives instructions on how to prepare a proper Wiener schnitzel. Even though some recipes alternatively use pork meat or even turkey, this iconic Austrian dish is protected by law, which means that for a breaded cutlet to be called Wiener schnitzel, the meat must come from veal.