When discussing meat dishes, the moment someone learns what a schnitzel is, they usually say, “Okay, so, it’s basically a chicken fried steak, right?” The short answer to that question is yes, essentially, Texas’ iconic chicken fried steak (a flattened, tough cut of steak cooked fried chicken-style) is schnitzel. But that’s not the full answer. Chicken fried steak is probably not exactly the dish a person is talking about if they’re using the word “schnitzel” in the first place. To understand why, you have to understand what a schnitzel is. It also helps to understand the distinctions between it and Wienerschnitzel.