If you ever had it before you know it can be addictive. If that's the case then here's the recipe to make thousands of them.
Jägerschnitzel - Escalope chasseur, or Hunter's Schnitzel in English - is another famous German food that has recently seen an increase of good reviews here in the U.S. and there are plenty of pictures and close-up photos available on Google. It is either made from veal or pork but a lean chicken breast can also be used. It might not be everybody's taste but for those I have spoken to, who had the pleasure of wolfing one down with a cold beer, it's definitely a winner.
Enjoy it on "Football Sunday" with a cold one, as a family dinner or just inhale it by yourself. Another benefit of making it is that a cold left-over Schnitzel makes a great sandwich sans the sauce, just with some Dijon mustard and wedged between the two halves of a rustic French roll.
For this version I opted for pork. I went to my butcher and bought four boneless pork chops, had him trim off the excess fat, butterfly it and pound it to about a 1/2 inch thickness. However, the sauce is the most important part of this dish.
Here's what we need to make a spectacular Jägerschnitzel...and its sauce:
For the Sauce:
2 baskets of sliced mushrooms, about 6-8oz each
3 strips of thick bacon, fat cut off & chopped (leave it on if you like)
1/4 pint of heavy cream
2 small cartons of beef stock
1/2 a yellow onions, finely chopped
a shot of cognac or brandy
a handful of Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 bags of classic brown gravy (optional)
2 Tbsp of butter
a splash of Worcestershire sauce
pinch of dried thyme
For the Schnitzels:
4 thick-cut, boneless pork chops - butterflied and pounded to a 1/2" thickness
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups of each: Panko crumbs and regular breadcrumbs (4 cups total)
2 Tbsp of butter
2 Tbsp of oil
some Flour
salt & pepper
First off, start out by rinsing the Schnitzels under cold water, pat them dry, season lightly with sea salt and pepper and set aside. In the meantime, heat up a pan with two Tbsp of butter and start sauteing the mushrooms. Now, you can use Champignons, Porcinis or, if you want a more extravagant version, even Chanterelles. Chanterelles add a flair of luxury to it, not to mention a different flavor. They also tend to lose a lot more water than their cheaper counterparts so let them air-dry for a few hours before use. But enough of that. Time to get to the sauce...
We'll start out by adding two Tbsp of butter to a bottom-heavy pan, add the mushrooms and sauté them until they release most of their liquid. Once it pools, immediately remove the mushrooms from the pan and place them, juice and all, in a bowl.
Add a Tbsp of oil to the pan and start searing, yes....searing..., the bacon over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat once it starts releasing some fat and add the finely chopped onion, sauté until they become translucent and the bacon a bits crispy.
Now we'll add our mushrooms back to the pan, and season them lightly (remember the bacon!) with salt and pepper before adding the cognac/brandy. To do that, remove the pan from the fire first and then pour in the alcohol before placing it back on the burner, especially if you like your hair and want to keep it. Add the broth, the cream, the Worcestershire sauce, the thyme and check on the sauce's taste. Bring to a simmer.
If the sauce is already dark brown in color, there's no need to add any of the two packets of Knorr sauce mix. The color of tonight's sauce wasn't up to my liking so I cheated a bit and added one packet. If you use one of those pre-made sauce enhancers/thickeners, such as the Knorr type, keep in mind that it doesn't take long before the sauce is done and thickened.
There's no extended simmering required, which can be a good thing if one is under time constraints but will also lack heavily in flavor. I am personally an advocate for a long simmer-down (45 mins - 1hr). Gives me time to have a glass of wine. Or two. Or maybe three...don't want to sound too proper here. But it enhances, amplifies and complexes the flavors of the sauce.
Either way, keep an eye on it and if the sauce thickens, reduce the heat to low...or depending on the pan, shut it off. Season to taste. Have a beer. Or a shot. Or both. No, not really..but I digress. :)
The Schnitzels are a different matter. Much, much easier and faster to make. Now, we have already rinsed and dried them. Look at the individual sizes of the Schnitzels and decide on a plate, casserole or baking pan large enough to hold the entire piece of meat. I was fortunate enough to have a large baking sheet and a baking pan around. The first one was used for the flour and the second for a combo of Panko and regular breadcrumbs. Five beaten eggs were also part of it.
Drench, and I mean drench, the Schnitzels in flour and shake off the excess flour before soaking them in the egg batter. Then turn them in the Panko/Breadcrumbs combo until all Schnitzels are evenly coated. Place them in a large-enough frying pan, heated to medium-high with two Tbsp of butter and two tbsp of oil.
Fry them to a golden brown with proper crunchiness. When done, plate the Schnitzels, ladle some Jäger (Hunter's) sauce over them and serve them with your favorite condiments. My favorites are Spätzle, homemade pan-fried potatoes or French fries, the traditional German way of serving them.
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