Step 1Trim away any excess fat around the rim of the chop, and any stray bits of other muscles as well — you want just the loin. Place the chop between two sheets of wax paper and pound it to a uniform 5 mm thickness, a meat pounder works best, but if you don't have one, you can use a baton-style rolling pin or even the bottom of a skillet. Start pounding from the center and work your way out.

Step 2Once you've flattened all of the cutlets, bread them — this is best done assembly-line fashion: flour, then egg and finally bread crumbs. The flour ensures the surface of the cutlet is dry so the egg wash will stick to it, keeping the bread crumbs in place. The flour goes on a plate, the egg wash in a wide bowl and the breadcrumbs on another plate. Fine dry breadcrumbs make the nicest crust, but if you have only coarse fresh crumbs, don't let that stop you — just remember you'll need to use about twice the volume. Some cooks add extras to the crumbs, such as grated Parmesan.

Step 3Flour all of the pounded schnitzels first, patting them briskly afterward to remove any excess, before proceeding to the egg wash and bread crumbs. Once your hands get eggy, things can get real messy real fast when you're dipping them back into flour.

Step 4Turn the cutlet in the egg wash, removing the extra with your fingers, then place the cutlet in the breadcrumbs and scoop more breadcrumbs over top — press down firmly — turn it over and do it again. When you pick up the cutlet, give it a light shake to get rid of any loose crumbs. It's best to let the cutlets sit for at least 15 minutes before frying. This lets the breading firm up so the coating will adhere to the cutlet and not fall off during cooking.

Step 5Up to this point the process of making schnitzel has been pretty foolproof. But the art of the dish is in the frying. And it really comes down to just one factor — having the oil at the right temperature. You want the oil to be hot enough that the breading will crisp and brown before the meat in the middle dries out. With a pork cutlet, that's only a matter of minutes. Frying with good hot oil also means the bread crumbs will form a crust before they begin to soak up the fat.

Step 6Heat the oil and butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Test with a crumb of bread — it will sputter angrily when the oil is hot enough. Cook the cutlets until golden brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes, then turn gently and brown on the other side, another 3 to 4 minutes. Don't crowd the pan — you will probably be able to cook only 2 cutlets at a time.

Step 7As the cutlets are done, put them on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels, season lightly with salt, and place in the oven to keep hot. Serve the schnitzel alongside some German potato salad.