AIR FRYER ESSENTIALS: PORK SCHNITZEL W/LEMON SAUCE

Air Fryer Essentials: Pork Schnitzel w/Lemon Sauce image

Worked on this over the evening and early morning hours. Everyone is sound asleep, the house is quiet as a church mouse, and you have the place to yourself. I usually pan or deep fry my schnitzel in grapeseed oil. This time I thought I would try them in the air fryer, and they came out really good. The lemon sauce is optional, but really pulls the flavors of the pork together, and is great over some garlic mashed taters. So, you ready... Let's get into the kitchen.

Provided by Andy Anderson ! @ThePretentiousChef

Categories Pork

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

PLAN/PURCHASE
THE SCHNITZEL
1 large boneless porkchop, 1 inch (2.5cm) thick
1/2 cup(s) breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon(s) cumin
1 teaspoon(s) dried oregano
1 teaspoon(s) paprika, mild, or hot, your choice
1/4 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper
1/4 cup(s) flour, all-purpose variety
2 large eggs, whisked
LEMON SAUCE (OPTIONAL)
2 tablespoon(s) sweet butter, unsalted
2 tablespoon(s) finely minced yellow onion
1/4 cup(s) chicken stock, not broth
1/4 cup(s) white wine, dry variety
2 tablespoon(s) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 cup(s) heavy cream

Steps:

PREP/PREPARE
You will need an air fryer, or convection oven to make this recipe.
Air Fryer Must Have Air fryers are amazing; however, the one "must have" item you need is an oil mister. Full Stop. The secret to getting that crispy "deep-fried" crust in an air fryer is to gently mist the foods with a bit of oil. In the case of this recipe, I misted one side of the breaded pork when placing them into the air fryer and misted the other side after turning them over. As you can see from the photos, they came out perfect.
Breadcrumbs I am using panko breadcrumbs for this recipe; however, use whatever you have on hand. You could even make your own out of stale bread.
Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
Use a very sharp knife to butterfly the porkchop, and then WHACK the two pieces with a meat mallet, or bottom of a cast iron skillet to an even 1/4-inch (0.6cm) thickness. WHACK, WHACK, WHACK...
Preheat the air fryer to 400f/205c.
Add the dry spices together in a bowl, then add about a third to the flour, a third to the whisked eggs, and a third to the breadcrumbs.
Add the seasoned flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs into three breading trays, or pie plates. Use whatever you have.
First coat the pork with the flour.
Knock off the excess and coat with the eggs.
Finally, coat with the breadcrumbs.
Spray a bit of oil on the basket grill and gently place the breaded pork inside. Then mist the tops of the chops with oil.
Air fry for 6 - 7 minutes, then carefully turn them over, mist with oil, and continue to fry for 6 - 7 minutes, or until nice and golden brown.
THE LEMON SAUCE If you are doing the lemon sauce, it can be easily made while the pork is in the air fryer. Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine almost evaporates completely, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and chicken stock, then raise the heat and bring it to a boil. Boil, stirring continually, until the sauce reduces slightly and begins to thicken, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the cream and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer and stir until the sauce further thickens, about 2 - 3 minutes. If you time it correctly, the sauce should be ready at the same time the schnitzel is coming out of the air fryer.
PLATE/PRESENT
Serve immediately with your favorite sides, drizzled with that awesome lemon sauce. Enjoy.
Keep the faith, and keep cooking.