Easier than frying up a pan o' bacon, scooping out 2 teaspoons of drippings, and happily munching on bacon while you prepare your schnitzel? Sadly, there is.

Any fat will do – butter, vegetable shortening, lard, margarine, olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, walnut oil, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, pumpkin seed oil, sunflower seed oil, almond oil, hazelnut oil, rapeseed oil, Canola oil, etc., etc. We assume the recipe is using the drippings for frying, but even if it's an ingredient in some weird schnitzel batter, it won't make much difference.

Given all the health claims circulating these days, it would be hard not to reach for olive oil and especially easy to shun butter, lard, and any hydrogenated fats.

Nothing will replace that bacon-y flavor, of course, but you have already signaled your intention to take the road more traveled. Either a mild or medium extra virgin olive oil would be a good choice. An assertive olive oil would likely be too peppery.

Do not use a lowfat fat substitute (such as a spread), which includes water and other ingredients that will keep it from responding as it should – but that's useful advice, no matter what you're cooking.