I’ve got another quintessential Czech dish for you – „holandský řízek“, translated in English as Dutch or Holland Schnitzel. I promise: You will love this recipe!
What Is Czech Holandský řízek?
Holandský řízek (Czech Dutch or Holland Schnitzel) is a homemade ground pork patty with grated cheese, breaded and fried in a pan. Result? Juicy inside, surrounded by a crispy, golden crust.
You need to use fattier meat for making holandský řízek; the best pork cut is shoulder, ideally combined with ground pork belly.
Holandský řízek goes best with mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- Ground (minced) pork, fattier, e.g. pork shoulder is a good choice
- Semi-hard cheese, grated, 45 % fat, e.g. Cheddar, in the Czech Republic we use Gouda or Edam (Dutch cheeses)
- salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- Cold water, only a few tablespoons, for juicier texture
Instructions
- Before you start making holandský řízek: Heat the oven to 300 °F (150 °C) - patties are baked in the oven after frying to become juicier.
- Put ground meat, grated cheese, and cold water in a bowl. Add salt and pepper. Mix using your hands; work quickly.
- Make patties between your palms. They should be about ½ inch thick and 5 inches in diameter.
- Prepare all the patties first, then coat them.
- Prepare 2 shallow plates and 1 bowl. Put the flour on the first plate and breadcrumbs on the second one. Whisk eggs into the bowl with a fork.
- Coat the prepared patties in the following order: 1) flour, 2) beaten eggs, 3) breadcrumbs (see photos in the next paragraph).
- Heat a thick layer of lard in the pan on a cooker set to medium temperature.
- Fry the coated patties from both sides until they turn golden brown.
- Put the finished patties on a pan or a tray and bake them up for a further ten minutes in the oven.
Pronunciation
I recorded a short audio clip on how to pronounce the Czech word "holandský řízek".
Coating
Step #1 - Dredge the patty in flour
Step #2 - Put it in lightly beaten eggs
Step #3 - Coat the patty carefully with breadcrumbs from all sides and fry them in a pan
Cook’s Tips
- If the mixture sticks to your hands when making patties, prepare some cold water and dip your hands in it.
- A well-prepared holandský řízek should be juicy, not dry inside. This is done by selecting the right kinds of cheese and meat.
- After holandské řízky are fried, put them into the oven pre-heated to 300 °F (150 °C) for a further 10 minutes.
- For coating, I use a piece of parchment paper instead of shallow plates; it works perfectly for me!
- Serve immediately when the cheese is still melted inside.
Questions Answered:
You’ll need fatty pork to make holandský řízek. The meats most used in the Czech Republic include pork shoulder, often combined with pork belly.
It’s important to use a fatty semi-hard cheese so that the schnitzel is juicy. We use Gouda or Edam in the Czech Republic, whose fat percentage is about 45 %.
Holandské řízky taste best when fried in pork lard. However, vegetable oil is also an option.
Holandský Řízek - Czech Dutch Schnitzel
Ingredients
Holandské řízky
- 1 lbs (450 g) pork shoulder (ground)
- 4 oz (110 g) semi-hard cheese (app. 45 % Edam, Gouda, Cheddar)
- 2 Tbsp water (cold)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper (ground)
Coating
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
For frying
- pork lard (or vegetable oil)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 300 °F (150 °C) - holandské řízky are baked in the oven after frying to become juicier.
- Put ground meat, grated cheese, and cold water in a bowl. Add salt and pepper. Mix using your hands, work quickly.
- Make patties between your palms. They should be about ½ inch thick, and 5 inches in diameter.
- Prepare all the patties first, then coat them.
- Prepare 2 shallow plates and 1 bowl. Put the flour on the first plate and breadcrumbs on the second one. Beat eggs into the bowl with a fork.
- Coat the prepared patties in the following order: 1) flour, 2) beaten eggs, 3) breadcrumbs.
- Heat a thick layer of lard in the pan on a cooker set to medium temperature.
- Fry the coated patties from both sides until they turn golden brown.
- Put the finished schnitzels on a pan or a tray and bake them up for a further ten minutes in the oven.
Notes
- Makes 6-8 pieces.
- Holandský řízeks are best served with mashed potatoes and pickles.
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chart
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