Slovakian Schnitzel Supper

The country of Slovakia (not to be confused with Slovenia) is hardly known by most Americans.  I, myself, couldn't tell you three things about the small, Eastern European country until I met my husband, Joe, six years ago! Joe was born in Slovakia and moved with his family to the United States when he was five years old.

Shortly after the end of communism,
Czechoslovakia disbanded into two separate countries.  

One of the many things that I hold close to my heart in regards to Joe's family, is our time around the table. For me, sharing meals also means sharing tradition, history, and love. And let me tell you something... traditional Slovakian food is nothing short of delicious!  Joe's mother, the family chef, is an inspiration to me. Ever since the first time watching her buzz around the kitchen preparing recipes etched only within her memory, I knew we spoke the same language of food. From fluffy pastries to  crispy schnitzels, I have relished every Slovakian dish I've ever tasted.

Now that I am responsible for Joe's nutritional well being, I am adamantly "training" to adopt some of his family's favorite and traditional Slovakian dishes into our own eating routine. The true test, and my future goal, is to have his family sit at my table for an authentic taste of home!  I have posted my recipes below so that you, too, can prepare a memorable Slovakian dinner.

The Menu:

Pork Schnitzel

Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage Slaw

Steamed Bread Dumplings

Schnitzel is more commonly served with potato salad, however,
Joe and I were both craving this cabbage slaw (also amazing).

Slovakian Pork Schnitzel

Serves 8

4 pork chops

1 cup flour

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs, slightly beaten

4 tbsp. milk

2/3 to 1 cup oil (vegetable oil or light olive oil)

Salt and pepper

Lemon for garnish (optional)

Remove membrane or any large pieces of fat from pork chops. Carefully slice the pork chops in half, lengthwise, so that you get 8 thin pieces. Pound the pieces with a mallet to tenderize and thin further. Season the pork with salt and begin to heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Combine the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Place the flour and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls or plates. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Coat the cutlets with flour well, then dip in egg, and lastly by bread crumbs. Depending on the size of the pork cutlets, more flour, egg, and breadcrumbs may be needed. Fry the cutlets, a few at a time, in the heated oil until crispy and brown on both sides. Depending on the size of the pan, more oil may be needed to make sure that there is enough for frying to take place. Put the fried cutlets on paper towels to absorb excess grease. Serve the schnitzel with fresh lemon slices (optional). 

Slovakian Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage Slaw

Serves 8-10

1 head green cabbage

2 medium sized onions (red or yellow)

2 carrots

200 ml (between 3/4 and 1 cup) vinegar (cider vinegar works, too)

2 tbsp. sugar

1-3 tbsp. oil

Salt and pepper

Green olives and seeded hot pepper (optional)

Rinse all vegetables. Slice the cabbage and onion into thin slices. Shred the carrots. Steam cabbage, onion and carrots to slightly soften, about 5-7 minutes. Whisk the vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper (to taste) in a large bowl. While the vegetables are still warm from steaming, mix them with the vinegar dressing and allow to cool. Once cool, stir in the oil and serve. Sliced green olives or seeded, sliced hot pepper can also be added for variety (optional).  

Steamed Slovakian Bread Dumplings

Serves 8

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

20 g dry yeast (~2.5 packages that are 7 g ea.)

1 egg

2 teaspoons salt

Water as needed

Temp the yeast by warming the milk and then mixing in the yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes or until the milk appears frothy (if not, the yeast is dead so buy new and start again). Whisk the salt into the flour in a large mixing bowl, then mix in egg to form a dough (add a small amount of water if needed). Knead on a lightly floured surface about 2 minutes. Place into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a tea towel, and set in a warm place to rise until double in size (about 45 minutes).  While the dough is rising, prepare the cooking pot. Do this by filling a large cooking pot ~1/3 full of salted water.  Drape a tea towel over the top of the pot and fix the towel to the pot's handles using string, so that the towel is pulled tight enough to create a "table" for the dough to rest. Locate a pot of similar size to use as a lid. After the bread dough has risen, heat the pot of water to a low boil. Turn out the dough over a lightly floured surface and separate into small handfuls of dough pieces. Roll each piece slightly to get rounded edges and place the dough balls (6-8 at a time) on top of the tight towel over the pot's boiling water. Cover with an upside-down pot (see picture below), and let cook for 20-25 minutes. Note: Steam is what is cooking the dough, so do NOT lift the lid to check on them before the cooking time is up!  Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces and serve immediately. 

Cooking pot assembly for Steamed Bread Dumplings