Edi & The Wolf's Schnitzel Burger

I've had a major thing for schnitzel since a trip to Germany last winter. Austrians and Germans love schnitzel. It's as ubiquitous in that region as hot dogs are here in New York. Eduard "Edi" Frauneder, co-owner of Austrian nosh spot Edi and the Wolf, brought the two worlds together in NYC's East Village.

Edi and the Wolf's schnitzel burger is made of thinly pounded heritage pork and comes with homemade spicy tomato confit, cabbage salad, the option of a fried egg on top alongside crispy fingerling potatoes that have been roasted, flash-fried and rolled in Gruyère cheese, bacon and parsley. You read that right. The potato component may have just one-upped the burger, which is made of heritage pork.

"We wanted to re-invent one of the most popular dishes on our menu, and what better way than to sandwich it between bread?" says Frauneder. "In Austria, schnitzel is considered 'poor man's food,' often shared around the football stadium in Germany and Austria."

Hey, we're watching football...uh, soccer right now! And as a rule, the cheaper the soccer-watching food, the better. No snooty paella for us! Frauneder likes to change up the accoutrements depending on the season, so it's never just a breaded cutlet in a burger bun. There are fast-food chains for that.

"Right now the lemon aioli gives it a great zip of spring, and in the colder months we'll add a bit of lingonberry jam. Everyone who tastes it agrees, it's the schnitz!"

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