AIP Pork Schnitzel
This recipe for AIP friendly pork schnitzel is great because it is easy and flavorful but also because it utilizes some fairly inexpensive cuts of meat (pork). Part of a true autoimmune protocol is to limit your meat intake to very high quality meats that you typically need to source out from special farm direct avenues. This can be alarmingly expensive depending on where you live and the availability of farm-to-table options. If you do not have the budget for organic grass fed beef or lamb then pork is a much more cost effective option. In my area I can get organic pork roasts on the bone for very cheap, and I simply butcher them down myself into cutlets, trimming away the bones and excess fat.
While a true schnitzel recipe has non-AIP safe ingredients such as breadcrumbs and eggs, this AIP safe version actually cones surprisingly close to the original. This is mostly due to the high-built texture of coconut flour. When used as a breading it tends to make a thicker breading, and when combined with the starch component you get a nice combination of thicker texture and crunch when you pan fry it. You do not have to flatten it completely, or at all if you don't want to, but a traditional schnitzel is a little thinner than a typical pork chop. Ideally between 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch would make a perfect schnitzel.
* You can use any pork from chops to tenderloin, but I prefer to buy roasts and process them myself to save money. You can use white and lighter meat for schnitzel, but it would be better to eat the white meat the first day. Leftover dark meat schnitzel is a fantastic snack or meal the following day but the white meat ones tend to get too dry as leftovers.
Prep time
5 minutes
Cooking time
20 minutes
Recipe yield
2 to 4 servings
Ingredients needed
2 to 4 pork cutlets (darker meat is better)
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
Step 1 - Trim pork and portion into cutlets
Step 2 - Flatten cutlets with a meat hammer or heavy rolling pin
Step 3 - Mix coconut flour, tapioca starch, onion, garlic and salt together in a bowl
Step 4 - Toss cutlets in seasoning, let rest for five minutes and then toss in seasoning again
Step 5 - Heat olive oil and coconut oil to high heat in a heavy pan
Step 6 - Cook for 10 minutes per side, moving minimally to allow cutlets to get browned and crispy
Step 7 - Remove from pan, season with salt and let cool on a wire rack for five minutes before serving
You can use less oil, or even try baking these schnitzel but this will result in a less crisp finished product in the oven, and pan fried with less oil will usually results in the coating burning...but it can be done. You also do have have to mix the olive oil and coconut oil, but the mixture of oils stands up to the heat of frying a little better than just coconut oil. If you only use olive oil I find this is a little too heavy in flavor and tends to take over the subtle garlic and onions flavor of the schnitzel.
My favorite way to serve this pork schnitzel is as a replacement for fried chicken, so whatever you would normally serve fried chicken with should work with this recipe. Below this schnitzel is plated with cinnamon butternut squash, a sweet potato salad and a couple of garlic dill fermented pickle spears - yum!
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About the author - Steve Goodale is a blogger and technical specialist from Ontario Canada, winner of the 2018 Industry Leadership Award, who reaches over three million readers per year with his popular pool and spa blog. Steve started the www.CookForMeBaby.com blog about healthy eating after being diagnosed with a rare and incurable autoimmune disease. You can read more on his story about life with MCTD here. For more healthy cooking inspiration check out his other delicious recipes.
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