Tender Egyptian Beef Escalope Banieh
The secret to tender beef escalope is that the slice is pounded until it reaches half a centimeter evenly, and fried for just 2 to 3 minutes on each side in medium-hot oil. The thin slice cooks in the same time the breadcrumbs brown, and any extra minute in the oil is what turns the escalope into leather.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 115 min
- Calories
- 470
Photo: Dr. Bernd Gross / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wiener_Schnitzel_vom_Kalb_im_Bellaria_Wien.jpg
Beef escalope is the meat version of banieh: thin veal slices marinated with onions and garlic, coated in breadcrumbs, and fried until golden. It is served with rice, green salad, and tahini, packed in school and work sandwiches, and prepared and frozen raw to be fried at any time.
Method
-
1
Pounding the Slices
Place each slice between two plastic bags, and pound it with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy cup from the center to the edges until it is half a centimeter everywhere. Pounding breaks the fibers and makes the thickness uniform, so the entire slice cooks at the same time.
⏱ 10 min -
2
The Marinade
Mix the grated onion with its juice with the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika, and toss the slices in them until coated. Cover and leave them in the fridge for at least an hour — and overnight is even better.
⏱ 5 min -
3
Wiping Off the Onion
Take out the slices and wipe the grated onion off them with the back of a knife. Onion pieces burn in the oil before the escalope cooks, leaving black spots and a bitter taste, and causing the breadcrumbs to fall off.
⏱ 3 min -
4
Preparing the Three Dishes
In one dish, place the flour; in the second, beaten eggs with milk and a pinch of salt; and in the third, breadcrumbs. This arrangement next to the stove makes coating fast and clean.
⏱ 3 min -
5
Coating
Coat each slice in flour then eggs then breadcrumbs, and press the breadcrumbs with the palm of your hand so they stick. Arrange them on a tray and leave them for 10 minutes — the coating sets and won't fall off in the oil.
⏱ 15 min -
6
Heating the Oil
Pour oil into a wide pan to a depth of 1 cm, and heat it over medium-high heat. Drop in a pinch of breadcrumbs: if it sizzles immediately and browns in half a minute, the oil is ready. Cold oil gets absorbed by the breadcrumbs, and blazing hot oil burns them before the meat cooks.
⏱ 5 min -
7
Frying in Batches
Fry only 2 to 3 slices at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden, and flip it only once. Overcrowding the pan cools the oil, making the escalope soaked in oil and not crispy.
⏱ 15 min -
8
Draining and Serving
Place the escalope on a wire rack or paper towels for a minute, and serve it hot with lemon, rice, and green salad. The wire rack is better than paper towels because it keeps the bottom side crispy as well.
⏱ 2 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Ask the butcher to cut the slices against the grain from the veal leg — a slice cut with the grain will remain tough no matter how much you pound it.
- To freeze it: coat it with breadcrumbs and arrange it on a tray in the freezer for two hours, then pack it in a bag. It fries directly from the freezer over slightly lower heat, with an extra minute on each side.
- Want it crispier? Do the coating twice: after the breadcrumbs, coat it in eggs and breadcrumbs again.
- For escalope in the oven: arrange it on a greased tray, drizzle with oil, and bake at 220°C for 12 to 15 minutes with a flip in the middle — less crispy but with much less oil.
People also ask
Why does the escalope turn out dry and tough?
Three reasons: the slice was thick and you didn't pound it enough, or it was cut with the grain, or it stayed in the oil longer than necessary. Thin veal cooks in 4 to 6 minutes total, and as soon as both sides turn golden, remove it.
Why do the breadcrumbs fall off the escalope in the oil?
Usually, the slice was wet from the marinade or had pieces of onion on it, or it was fried immediately after coating. Wipe the slices, don't skip the first layer of flour, let it rest for 10 minutes after coating, and don't flip it in the oil more than once.
Can I make it with regular beef instead of veal?
Yes, but regular beef is tougher: ask for thinner slices, pound them well, and extend the marinade to a full night in the fridge. A tablespoon of yogurt in the marinade also helps with tenderness.
How can I make the escalope ahead of time for a gathering?
Marinate and bread it from the morning, arrange it in a covered tray in the fridge, and fry it right before eating. Escalope fried ahead of time gets soggy and loses its crunch — and if you must reheat it, put it in a 200°C oven for 8 minutes on a wire rack, not in the microwave.
Cook mode
Tender Egyptian Beef Escalope Banieh
-
1
Pounding the Slices
Place each slice between two plastic bags, and pound it with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy cup from the center to the edges until it is half a centimeter everywhere. Pounding breaks the fibers and makes the thickness uniform, so the entire slice cooks at the same time.
-
2
The Marinade
Mix the grated onion with its juice with the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika, and toss the slices in them until coated. Cover and leave them in the fridge for at least an hour — and overnight is even better.
-
3
Wiping Off the Onion
Take out the slices and wipe the grated onion off them with the back of a knife. Onion pieces burn in the oil before the escalope cooks, leaving black spots and a bitter taste, and causing the breadcrumbs to fall off.
-
4
Preparing the Three Dishes
In one dish, place the flour; in the second, beaten eggs with milk and a pinch of salt; and in the third, breadcrumbs. This arrangement next to the stove makes coating fast and clean.
-
5
Coating
Coat each slice in flour then eggs then breadcrumbs, and press the breadcrumbs with the palm of your hand so they stick. Arrange them on a tray and leave them for 10 minutes — the coating sets and won't fall off in the oil.
-
6
Heating the Oil
Pour oil into a wide pan to a depth of 1 cm, and heat it over medium-high heat. Drop in a pinch of breadcrumbs: if it sizzles immediately and browns in half a minute, the oil is ready. Cold oil gets absorbed by the breadcrumbs, and blazing hot oil burns them before the meat cooks.
-
7
Frying in Batches
Fry only 2 to 3 slices at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden, and flip it only once. Overcrowding the pan cools the oil, making the escalope soaked in oil and not crispy.
-
8
Draining and Serving
Place the escalope on a wire rack or paper towels for a minute, and serve it hot with lemon, rice, and green salad. The wire rack is better than paper towels because it keeps the bottom side crispy as well.
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