Oktoberfest in a Sandwich Bite
German food has a very special place in my heart. Growing up, my dad would take us to the Amana Colonies, a German colony in eastern Iowa, and we would eat at a traditional, family style German restaurant. These types of meals are a dream to eat – the entrees are comforting, you get family-style sides for the table that are extra delicious, and it’s all topped off with a slice of pie or strudel. To this day, a great German meal is an ultimate comfort food, and especially around Oktoberfest this time of year it becomes a major craving!
This sandwich is an ode to those meals, in an easy to make, casual lunch-time meal. The star of this dish is a pork schnitzel, and just like at the restaurants the pork schnitzel is served with a squeeze of lemon, an arugula salad, and a mustardy condiment. It’s all my favorite parts of a meal in one bite!
Tips For Making This Pork Schnitzel Sandwich Recipe
If you plan on making this fried pork sandwich, here are a few tips to make it extra delicious:
- When breading the pork chops, use one hand as the “dry hand” and one hand as the “wet hand”. This will help keep your fingers clean and less sticky as you move from piece to piece. For example, use your left hand when tossing the pork in the flour and breadcrumbs and your right hand for the eggs.
- Before breading the pork, pat it dry with a paper towel to ensure no extra moisture is still on the protein.
- It’s imperative that your oil is warm enough to fry your pork chops. If it’s too cold, the pork chop will absorb the oil before it begins to cook, leaving you with an oily sandwich. If the oil is too hot, the crust may burn before the insides are cooked all the way through. To help manage the heat, preheat the oil over medium heat and make sure it’s to temperature before dropping in the first piece. You can do this by place the end of a wooden spoon or a few pieces of breading into the oil. If they bubble right away, you’re oil is warm! Remember, as you put in items the oil will become cooler, but if you notice your oil starts to become too hot and your pieces are browning too quickly, adjust the heat down slightly.
Recipe Details
To start, you’ll whip up a super simple mustard sauce. The sauce is comprised of mayonnaise, grainy dijon mustard, paprika, honey, and a bit of salt and pepper. These ingredients are mixed together into a single sauce. This is set aside until you’re ready to assemble the sandwich.
The pork schnitzel is the star of this sandwich, and is the most time consuming part of assembling this sandwich. Three boneless pork chops are cut in half, into two equal thinner pieces. This is then dredged in a layer of flour, a layer of scrambled eggs, and then lastly seasoned breadcrumbs. The breaded pork chops are fried in oil until the breading is crisp and the pork is cooked through and firm to touch. Squeeze ½ a lemon over the pork schnitzels once they’re all cooked and then begin building.
To assemble the pork schnitzel sandwich, first spoon some of the mustardy sauce onto the bottom bun, top with a piece of pork, and then a handful of baby arugula. Top with the other half of each bun, serve right away, and enjoy!
This sandwich is best served warm. If you have any leftovers, store each ingredient separately. To reheat, place the pork schnitzels onto a tray and heat in an oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through. Then build the sandwiches and enjoy!
If you like the sound of this recipe, you should also check out these autumnal, pork dishes:
Be sure to tag @laura.loves.to.cook on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook to let me know how your recipes turn out. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Pork Schnitzel Sandwich with Easy Mustard Sauce
Description
An easy pork schnitzel recipe is the star of this sandwich, paired with an easy mustard sauce and arugula. Pork chops are pounded into thin patties, breaded, and fried on the stove top then layered onto a sandwich with a mustardy, mayo sauce and a pile of baby arugula.
Ingredients
Easy Mustard Sauce
Pork Schnitzel Sandwich
Instructions
Make the Easy Mustard Sauce
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In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, grainy dijon mustard, honey, and paprika. Mix until equally distributed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
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Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Prepare and Fry the Pork Chops
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Set a have large, heavy bottomed pan with tall walls onto the stove top. Fill the pan with canola oil until it is ½ inch deep (about halfway up your first knuckle.
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Turn the heat onto medium and pre-heat the oil while you prepare the pork.
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Set out 3 trays or shallow bowls. In the first one, add the all purpose flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. In the second bowl, crack the eggs and scramble lightly with a fork. In the third pan, add the breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Cut each pork chop in half, crosswise, to make 2 equal sized, thin slices.
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Working with one piece of pork at a time, toss the pork in the flour, shaking off any excess, and then add to the eggs. Turn the piece over so each side is lightly coated with the eggs. Shake off any excess eggs and place in the breadcrumbs. Toss in the breadcrumbs, using your hands to press the breadcrumbs into each piece. Set each piece on a tray until all 6 pieces are breaded.
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Test to see if your oil is warm by placing the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. If bubbles form around the spoon, your oil is warm. If not, let it continue to warm through.
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Place the breaded pork chops into the pan, working in batches to not overcrowd the pan (there should be at least 2 inches between each piece).
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Cook the pork until the pork is cooked through and the breading is crisp, turning the chops over once or twice while it cooks to ensure even cooking on both sides, about 3 minutes.
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Using tongs, shake off any excess oil and place onto a cooling rack with a tray underneath. Repeat with the remaining pieces of pork.
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Squeeze half a lemon over the pieces of pork.
Assemble Sandwiches
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Lightly toast each bun, until it’s golden brown on the cut side of each bun.
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Spread 1-2 tablespoons of mustard sauce onto the bottom piece of each bun.
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Place a piece of fried pork onto each bottom bun. Top with ½ cup, or 1 handful, of baby arugula onto each piece.
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Add the top bun, serve, and enjoy!