Oktoberfest, Teppanyaki-style!

In honor of Cook-N-Dine's German lineage, we decided to celebrate Oktoberfest with a twist on tradition: Schnitzel and potatoes! Our Crispy Potatoes blog post was not only our first venture into blogging, it has also been one of our most viewed posts, so after nearly two years it was time to revisit and revamp the potatoes.While potato salad is the more traditional side for Schnitzel, we just can't resist this Teppan-take on Emeril's Love Potatoes; they come out just the right amount of crispy, without deep-frying. It's like a healthy chip! The potatoes should to be prepared on the teppanyaki before the schnitzel, since they take longer and are a little more work. We sliced 3 large yellow potatoes using a mandolin, making them about 1/8-inch slices. Once the Cook-N-Dine was preheated, we turned the temperature up to 8 and added enough ghee to coat the heated center. We then placed the first layer of potatoes down, creating a concentric circle of overlapping potatoes. Adding some salt and pepper, we let the first layer cook for about 5 minutes, which allowed the edges to start browning, before adding the next layer of overlapping potatoes to the circular stack. The more layers added, these beauties start to look like a lovely sort of "potato-flower". Another few minutes go by, allowing the heat to brown the edges and bottom while the inner steam within the "potato-flower" to soften and cook the potatoes before adding the third layer. We had a total of 5 layers going before carefully flipping the stack over. Two big spatulas, a steady hand and serious concentration are recommended for the flip. Another 5 minutes or so after flipping for cooking the massive "potato-flower" stack, and then it's time to spread the slices out, adding a touch more ghee and the onions. 5 more minutes to let the onions saute while the potatoes continue cooking, and then it's time to move it all over to the warm edge of the cooking center so we can start the Schnitzel. We use boneless pork loin chops and pound them to just about a 1/4 inch or less, which is our personal preference, and then proceed to cut them into hand-sized pieces or smaller. To make the pounding process a little cleaner, we like to place the meat between two sheets of cling wrap. For seasoning and topping we set up 3 deep dishes side by side, the first with flour and spices (we enjoy using "Butt Rub", but any personal preference of pepper, salt, garlic, paprika, cayenne, etc.), the second with 3 eggs and a touch of water whisked together (you can add some fresh chopped parsley for an additional taste twist if you like), the third dish a 50/50 mix of unseasoned bread crumbs and panko bread crumbs (feel free to use all regular unseasoned bread crumbs if you can't find panko).Once the potatoes were moved from the center, we spread some more ghee and place the Schnitzel down to cook. Each side takes about 3 minutes to brown and cook. If you notice the breading soaking up the ghee/cooking oil, turn the heat up a little, being careful to not burn the Schnitzel. They should take on a nice golden-brown and have a delicate crispy quality. Feel free to dress the meat with some lemon butter and/or capers if you like. Schnitzel is traditionally served with a couple of lemon wedges. Serve with potatoes, and enjoy!