Wide Open Table is a bi-monthly Montana Free Press column on all things food and cooking. Sign up for this newsletter here. Sign up In Montana, you are far more likely to find chicken-fried steak on a restaurant menu than an authentic schnitzel. While these close culinary cousins share some similarities, it’s worth noting a few tasty differences that should have you frying up your own homemade schnitzel by the end of this column. “Weiner schnitzel” is an Austrian dish popularized in the U.S. by German immigrants, and is usually made with veal. Chicken fried steak was, by most accounts, developed in Texas by German immigrants working in cattle country and made from beef. Both dishes use a process to either thin and/or tenderize the cuts of meat, which are then breaded and fried. From there, the similarities mostly end. Schnitzel is usually thinner and has a larger surface area, making for a larger ratio for that wonderful crust. Due to the thinness of the meat, the crust stays crisper than a chicken-fried steak. While veal cutlets are the traditional form, you can “schnitzel” any of your favorite cuts of meat — pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, game, or beef — and come up with a variety of toppings that don’t distract from the flavor and crispy, crunchy exterior. Credit: Jon Bennion / MTFPGermans brought this tasty dish with them when settling in Montana to become prospectors, miners, smelter laborers, and brewers. But their numbers grew exponentially when the state began actively recruiting new arrivals to the U.S. to homestead in Big Sky Country. Both Germans from Europe and Volga Germans from Russia (like my maternal ancestors) came by the thousands to own their very own piece of land in the American West. They brought their language, their culture, and their food. As far as schnitzel goes, it makes no difference if you trace your heritage to German ancestors or not. This particular recipe I’ve developed is not one you will find in cookbooks, but it’s a specially developed version of schnitzel that gives additional nods to the birthplace of the dish. These deviations manifest in the breading, which usually consists of flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs. I add a bit of whole-grain mustard to the egg mixture for flavor, and I finely process pretzels as a substitute for traditional breadcrumbs. This particular recipe uses chicken breast — a favorite version in our household — or top round beef. I’ve also used cube steaks that aren’t too mechanically chewed up and so can be pounded thin without disintegrating. Feel free to swap out for any protein of your choice as long as you adhere to the process as described. Getting the right thinness starts with cuts that are already sliced no more than 1/2- inch thick, but preferably about 1/4 inch. From there, a rolling pin is the ideal common kitchen tool to gently pound the meat even thinner while the cuts are contained in a Ziploc bag. The force from the rolling pin evenly distributes the impact necessary to get a thin protein. A meat mallet can too easily tear or make holes in the meat.  I’ve perfected a Bavarian-style soft pretzel (recipe forthcoming in a future Wide Open Table), and I often make extras and turn them into pretzel crumbs. For this recipe, grab any brand of salted (no additional flavors added) pretzels, either in their traditional pretzel shape or as small sticks. Avoid the large pretzel rods as they give you less of the tasty surface area, which lends buttery, nutty goodness to your schnitzel. If you want very fine pretzel crumbs, use a high-powered blender. To get slightly coarser pretzel crumbs, use a food processor. Topping the crispy pretzel-crusted schnitzel can be as simple as a lemon drizzle or as satisfying as savory gravy. The choice is yours. A bit of fried spätzle and some braised red cabbage are totally appropriate pairings to complete this delicious nod to Deutschland. PRETZEL-CRUSTED SCHNITZEL RECIPE2 large chicken breasts(Beef alternative: 4 cuts of 1/2” to 1/4” top round, pounded to about 1/8” thick)4-5 oz. pretzels2 eggs1/2 cup flour1 tbsp whole-grain mustardgranulated garlicsalt and peppervegetable oilPulse your pretzels in a food processor (for coarse crumbs) or a high-powered blender (for fine crumbs). Take them out and put them on a plate. Build your breading stations with three separate plates: a plate of the flour, a plate with the two beaten eggs with the mustard mixed in, and a plate of pulsed pretzel crumbs with pepper and a bit of granulated garlic mixed in. Slice your two chicken breasts horizontally through the middle to create two large, thin pieces of chicken (four total). Place one piece of meat into a gallon Ziploc and pound with a rolling pin using medium force. The goal is to thin it out to no more than 1/4” thick and no less than 1/8” thick without creating tears or holes in the meat. Remove from the Ziploc and repeat for each piece of meat. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with granulated garlic, salt, and pepper. Totally coat one piece of meat on both sides with the flour. Pat the meat a bit to remove excess flour, then put the meat in station two, the seasoned egg mixture. Allow excess egg to drip off the meat before coating it entirely in the seasoned pretzel crumbs. Before you cook the schnitzel, let the breaded meat rest for 15-20 minutes on a wire rack.Fill a large frying pan with a quarter-inch of vegetable oil or another neutral oil and bring it to medium heat. Once your pan is pre-heated, pan fry the schnitzel until the first side is golden brown on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and repeat. You don’t necessarily have to cook them all at once. You can do one or two at a time and place the cooked ones in a 250-degree oven on a baking tray and wire rack while you cook the rest. Serve topped with lemon juice or your favorite brown gravy. Credit: Jon Bennion / MTFPThe post Pretzel-crusted schnitzel: a delicious nod to Deutschland appeared first on Montana Free Press.