Jägerschnitzel (Schnitzel with "Hunter's" sauce)
I have made Schnitzel before – and published a recipe quite some time ago as well. For this version, I have varied the process a bit and have also added a mushroom-bacon cream sauce, generally known as Jägersauce (Hunter's sauce) in German. Don't ask me where this name comes from – I have absolutely no idea. What I do know is that the combination of tender crispy Schnitzel and Jägersauce is a match made in heaven's kitchen.
I have also added my perfect home fries to round out the meal. Seriously, you can't go wrong with this – and wouldn't you know it? It's also mostly beige and will please even the most difficult eater.
So go ahead, knock yourself out. Once you master this version, you'll be the undisputed winner of any Schnitzel cook-off. Yes, I know: Neither you nor I have ever been in one. But if you were to participate in one, this recipe is the perfect weapon!
Perhaps this dish seems intimidating – you will basically have three dishes up in the air until they come together as one. However, the process isn't really all that complicated – you simply need to keep an eye on the other dishes while you make the Schnitzel to make sure they don't burn.
Ingredients:
Schnitzel:
½ Pork Tenderloin
salt
pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup plus 1 Tbs. Canola oil
1 cup bread crumbs (unseasoned)
Home fries:
4 medium-large whole Yukon Gold potatoes, cooked the day before.
2 Tbs. Ghee
1/8 tsp. Paprika
pinch of cayenne
salt
freshly ground pepper
Sauce:
4 oz. Cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 tsp. Ghee
one small onion, finely chopped
2 strips of bacon, cubed
¾ cup vegetable stock
½ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp. dried thyme
salt
pepper
Let's get started:
Start with the sauce – it takes the longest.
Sauce:
Heat a medium pan over high heat.
Add the Ghee and let melt.
When hot, add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for two minutes, stirring occasionally – until they start to brown.
Remove the mushrooms from the pan.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add the cubed bacon.
Cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally
Add the chopped onion.
Cook for another two minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the mushrooms again, stir.
Add the veggie stock, the cream, and the thyme, stir.
Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer while you move on to the next part of the dish. You want the liquid to noticeably reduce.
Let's move on to the home fries, then:
Home Fries:
Heat a large pan over medium heat.
Add the Ghee and let melt.
Slice and dice the potatoes any which way you want into a chunks you think you will like – I prefer mine to be small and thus, crunchier – directly into the pan.
Move the pan back and forth occasionally to flip and mix the potatoes.
Fry until browned from all sides – since this will take some time, you can now turn your attention to the Schnitzel. While you are making the Schnitzel, keep an eye on the potatoes and stir them occasionally.
Schnitzel:
Put a kitchen towel on your countertop and place a large wooden cutting board on top.
Place the pork tenderloin on the cutting board.
Slice the tenderloin on the bias into slices roughly ¾ inch thick.
Trim all fat, remove any veins.
Pound flat with a meat tenderizer (that little hammer-like tool you can find in any kitchen store). If you don't have one, cover the pieces of meat with plastic wrap and pound them flat with the back of a heavy pan or cooking pot).
Turn over, and repeat – you want the meat to be super thin.
Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
Put the flour into a shallow bowl (such a soup plate).
Crack the eggs into a second shallow bowl/soup plate.
Add the tsp. of oil.
Vigorously mix the eggs and the oil to create an egg wash.
Add the bread crumbs to a third shallow bowl/soup plate.
Take each salted and peppered slice of pork and put it into the flour from both sides.
Now transfer the meat to the egg wash and again, make sure the meat is covered on all sides.
Remove meat from the egg wash, let excess drain back into the bowl, and transfer to the bowl with bread crumbs. Simply make sure the crumbs adhere to the meat – don't press them on!
Heat the cup of oil in a large non-stick pan until very hot but not smoking.
Add as many pieces of pork as you can comfortably fit in while still allowing the possibility of expansion and movement.
Once the meat is in the oil, start moving the pan back and forth so the oil sloshes over the meat. Don't stop – just keep going. You know you are doing it right when part of the browning bread crumb crust starts to lift off the meat. If it doesn't don't worry – that just takes practice.
When the top side is starting to turn a nice golden color, turn the meat over – all the while moving the pan back and forth.
When you like to hue of gold, remove Schnitzel from the pan, let drain for a second, and plate.
By now, your potatoes should also be a nice shade of gold.
Add the Paprika, Cayenne, and Salt and Pepper to taste.
Stir to incorporate the spices.
Add whatever amount you want to the plate with the Schnitzel.
Your sauce should also have thickened by now.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Give your sauce another stir and pour whatever amount you deem desirable on top of the Schnitzel.
Serve immediately!
