Odenwald Kochkäs Schnitzel
Description
A crisp breaded pork cutlet under a blanket of melting Kochkäse, topped with raw onion rings. The Hessian Odenwald turns its most characteristic cheese - a soured-milk cheese made spreadable with bicarbonate of soda - into a full inn dish.
Directions
✓ researched- 1
Peel the potatoes, cut them into sticks or slices and bake them crisp in the oven at 200 degrees, or fry them in a pan as Bratkartoffeln. They should be ready when the schnitzel come out of the pan.
⏱️ approx. 10 min - 2
Pound the cutlets between two sheets of cling film to about five millimetres, season both sides with salt and pepper. Set out three plates with flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs.
⏱️ approx. 8 min - 3
Turn the cutlets first in the flour, then through the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Press the crumbs on only lightly - that keeps the coating airy so it puffs away from the meat while frying.
⏱️ approx. 3 min - 4
Heat plenty of clarified butter in a large pan. Fry the cutlets for three to four minutes per side until golden brown, swirling the pan repeatedly so the fat washes over the coating.
⏱️ approx. 8 min - 5
Place the cutlets on a baking tray, spread the Kochkäse evenly over them and sprinkle with caraway. Grill or bake at 220 degrees top heat for four to six minutes until the cheese has melted and starts to bubble.
⏱️ approx. 6 min💡 Tip: Kochkäse melts fast and splits if it gets too hot. As soon as it is glossy and bubbling, it is done.
- 6
Slice the onion into paper-thin rings and lay them raw over the hot cheese. Serve immediately with the potatoes; in the Odenwald a spoonful of remoulade and a green salad belong on the side.
⏱️ approx. 2 min
📜 Origin & History
Kochkäse is a soured-milk cheese that is made permanently soft and spreadable by adding bicarbonate of soda and gently warming it. Quark is drained for several hours, mixed with the soda, left to rest and then stirred over low heat - never above 42 degrees - until it liquefies; butter, sometimes cream and egg yolk are worked in and it is seasoned with salt and usually caraway. In the south-western Odenwald the cheese is known as Brennkäse. Traditionally it is eaten on bread, often "mit Musik", with onions in oil and vinegar, in the same way as Handkäs. The Odenwald inns take it one step further and melt it over a freshly fried schnitzel - a dish still served in village pubs such as the Römischer Kaiser in Lindenfels-Schlierbach.
🗺️ Where is Odenwälder Kochkässchnitzel cooked?
Odenwald · Hessen
Main regionThe Hessian Odenwald is the home of Kochkäse. In Fürth-Lörzenbach, the Odenwälder Kochkäserei has been making it for a second generation from the grandmother's family recipes, without binders or preservatives. Inns such as the Römischer Kaiser in Lindenfels have Kochkäs'schnitzel on the menu.
More from Odenwald →Hessen · Hessen
In Hessian supermarkets, Kochkäse sits in the chilled section next to Handkäse. Like the latter it is also eaten mit Musik, that is with onions pickled in vinegar and oil.
More from Hessen →Badischer-odenwald · Baden-Württemberg
In the south-western Odenwald the same cheese commonly goes by the name Brennkäse.
More from Badischer-odenwald →🌿 Regional variants
Topped with melted Kochkäse (Odenwald)
The Kochkäse goes straight onto the finished schnitzel and melts there. Raw onion rings sit on top – a nod to Handkäs mit Musik.
With a Kochkäse cream sauce (Odenwald)
The Kochkäse is stirred with cream and a dash of Riesling from Groß-Umstadt into a sauce that is poured over the schnitzel. This version works with ingredients from the area, such as Hüttenthal layered curd cheese and butter.
Vegetarian, with celeriac or mushrooms (Odenwald)
Breaded celeriac steaks or large mushroom caps replace the pork schnitzel. The method stays the same; the frying time shortens by about two minutes per side.
🍷 What goes with it?
Fried potatoes, boiled potatoes or chips go with it, plus a green salad. Anyone who likes the cheese plain eats it alongside on a slice of Odenwald farmhouse bread, mit Musik – with onions pickled in vinegar and oil. A Riesling from the Hessische Bergstraße or from Groß-Umstadt suits it, and in Hesse apple wine does too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get Kochkäse outside Hesse?
In Hessian supermarkets it sits in the chilled section next to Handkäse. Elsewhere try a good cheese counter or mail order; Luxembourgish Kachkéis or French Cancoillotte come very close to the original.
Can I make Kochkäse myself?
Yes: drain quark for several hours, mix it with bicarbonate of soda, let it rest until it turns glassy, then warm it while stirring to no more than 42 degrees until it liquefies. Finally stir in butter, a little cream, salt and caraway.
Why press the breadcrumbs on only lightly?
So that a cushion of steam forms between meat and coating while frying. The crust then lifts away and stays crisp instead of soaking up the meat juices.
Is there a vegetarian version?
Yes. In the Odenwald the Kochkäse is also melted over breaded celeriac steaks or large mushroom caps. The method is identical, the frying time about two minutes shorter per side.
What is Kochkäse, and why is it also called Brennkäse in the Odenwald?
Kochkäse is a sour-milk cheese made from quark. Adding bicarbonate of soda and warming it gently liquefies the curd, which then stays permanently viscous and spreadable. In the south-western Odenwald the name Brennkäse is usual – it points to the heating that makes the cheese spreadable in the first place.
What does Kochkäse "mit Musik" mean?
Mit Musik means: with onions pickled in vinegar and oil. The expression comes from Handkäs mit Musik and jokes about what raw onions do to the digestion. On the Kochkäs'schnitzel the onion rings sit raw on the melted cheese.
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Ingredients
verified- Pork schnitzel4 pcs
- Wheat flour60 g
- Egg2 pcs
- Breadcrumbs120 g
- Clarified butter (Butterschmalz)4 tbsp
- Kochkäse (German cooked cheese)250 g
- onion1 pcs
- Caraway1 tsp
- potato800 g
- salt pinch
- pepper pinch
Nutrition per serving
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