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My postponed trip to Germany/Austria

Well, October marks the fourth time I had to postpone my Germany/Austria trip. Was going in March, then Covid hit and I naively thought I could go at the end of October. So instead I've hit up my local German market and bought Augustiner Maximator beer, some Wienerschnitzel baking in the oven, potato salad and German chocolate. Now hoping for next fall but who knows at this point! Having had to postpone it four times, the first due to acute pneumonia and the second due to job loss, I'm beginning to suspect someone doesn't want me traveling to my ancestral home.

Posted by
991 posts

I had to cancel my Austria/Germany trip this year. I know how disappointing it feels. Just so you won't have to cancel again, I think you may be better to plan for a 2022 vacation (Plan A). Plan B would be to hope travel opens up sooner and then be prepared to take the trip on short notice. I just don't think booking anything for 2021 is a good option right now. I have family in the UK and I hope to visit in 2021 but I am fully preparing myself if it doesn't happen.

Posted by
1290 posts

Sorry to hear of your travel delays. I'm here in the Oberpfalz and just cancled my 8 October trip to Seefeld, AT, as Tirol made the German coronavirus risk list 25 September. New cases in Germany are moving towards April totals. There are currently 5,478 active cases in Bavaria and 26,673 active cases throughout Germany. I'm expecting a return to more stringent restrictions in Bavaria soon. Munich is already there. Regensburg Landkreis last seven-day average is now up to 0.76%. In the north in Nordrhein-Westfalen the city of Hamm is at 0.98. Chancellor Angela Merkel is holding meetings today and we'll see.
Until the USA gets the virus under control, and there is a viable vaccine, I would not make plans. The German RKI risk list is a key too.
Baking Wienerschnitzel/Schweineschnitzel? Have some time... then search for Alfon Schuhbeck Rezepte (Bayerische Küche). My daughter (Good Schnitzel) has trouble finding the Oberschalenschnitzel pork cut for Schweineschnitzel in the US (basically uncured ham). Turkey breast pounded out works out pretty well too.

Posted by
19092 posts

My daughter ... has trouble finding the Oberschalenschnitzel pork cut for Schweineschnitzel in the US

According to Dr. Oetker, Oberschale is German for the part of a cow that we call top round. And, yes, it is hard to find in the US. Most of the pork top round gets made into ham and never gets to the grocery store in an un-smoked condition. I was able to get some, un-smoked, from a small specialty meat store near me that smokes their own hams.

On Dr. Oetker's diagram of a pig, all that that would be rump or round on the pig is called "Schinken" (ham).

A German friend of mine teaches culinary arts at a school in the Oberallgäu, and he once sent me his recipe for Schnitzel. He said it could also be made from pork chops, which he claimed tasted better (but are more expensive than Oberschale). I usually make schnitzel from boneless pork chops, pounded thin.

Posted by
5382 posts

Not to be porky, but schnitzel is fried, not baked.

Posted by
8440 posts

Back in the '60s, there was a short-lived fast-food chain around here called "Der Wienerschnitzel". Its primary menu item was hotdogs (aka weiner in the US). There are still a lot of people in my age group who are confused that a Wienerschntizel is not a hotdog, including folks we traveled with who were surprised at what was on their plate.

Posted by
8440 posts

onefastbob. Did not know that they were still around. That explains a lot. They were only here in my area for a couple of years, but the commercials linger forever.

Posted by
84 posts

Buy boneless pork chops and have your butcher run them through the cuber. Cubed pork chops when prepared properly taste similar to pork schnitzel found in Europe.