Jagerschnitzel & Mushroom Gravy

Serves: 2 | Prep & Cook Time: 1 hr

Hardware

• Small sauté pan or sauce pot (2-4qt)
• Large sauté pan (4-6qt)
• A mallet of discipline
• A Sharp Knife 🙂

Ingredients

Pork Schnitzel (AKA Porky’s Last Stand)

• 2 Boneless Pork Chops (cutlets) pounded ¼” thin
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1 T salt
• 1 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1 t powdered garlic
• 1 t paprika
• 1 egg lithely beaten (pirouette and flourish optional) ⁴
• 1/2 C milk
• 1 C panko bread crumbs¹
• 4 T clarified butter or ghee (for frying pork)

Mushroom Gravy

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 1/2 C Flour
• 1/2 minced yellow onion, approximately 1/2 C
• 2 C sliced button mushrooms
• ½ C red wine ²
  • white optional
  • even more optional (and interesting): Bavarian Beer
  • yes, dark vinegar is aUtHeNtic.
• 2 Cs beef stock ³
  • chicken stock if using white wine
• 2 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 t Bottled German or French (Dijon) mustard
• 2 T chopped fresh Flat leaf parsley

Directions

Prepping Porky

1. Pound pork between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Mise en place: Set up three shallow bowls, or small (about 3 cup) casserole dishes. To the right of the third dish, place a baking sheet. Then from left to right:
   1. Bowl 1: mix together the 3/4 C flour with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika.
   2. Bowl 2: combine egg, milk.
   3. Bowl 3: panko crumbs.
3. Then prepare each pork slice left to right:
   1. Dredge pork slice in flour and shake
   2. Then in egg wash,
   3. Then pat into the crumbs (pat, not press)…
   4. And rest on baking sheet in fridge for ~10min.

Mushroom Sauce

1. In a medium saute pan over medium heat cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
2. In same pan with bacon fat, add onions and sauté for until translucent.
3. Add mushrooms and continue to sauté until soft.
4. Stir in flour. Continue to stir until you have a blonde roux.
5. Stir in the wine and cook to reduce by 1/3
6. Then add stock and reduce by 1/3 again.
7. Add butter, stirring until it has melted.
8. Season with salt, pepper, mustard and parsley to taste.
9. Turn off the heat and cover sauté pan, or transfer to a service container.

Cooking Porky

1. Heat some clarified butter in a sauté pan to 350^F. There should be enough to almost cover the cutlets.
2. Gently place each cutlet and fry each side until golden brown. Remove cutlets and reserve on a cooling rack.
3. Service: Plate the cutlet either alone or on some rice, spaetzle or potatoes. Cover generously with Mushroom Sauce. Garnish with the bacon and fresh parsley.

Notes

1. Panko: I like the texture this brings to most fried foods, but you don’t need to make a special trip for it. Crushed crackers, or even toasted, stale ground bread will work (and would actually be more traditional)
2. Wine: Coppola Cabernet or Chardonnay would work. Riesling also works but will be sweeter (not a bad thing in this case).
3. Stock: I usually go with low/no salt stock or even bone-broth.
4. 1 egg beaten… I know it’s a typo, and I thought it was damn funny (it’s been a long day)
5. You can use a neutral oil instead of clarified butter (like refined safflower oil)
6. Yes, you probably should double the gravy recipe and serve with Spaetzle (or freeze some, roux-based gravies reheat well)
7. Alcohol – I mean… what do you want to play against the deep-fried meat? That’s the question (aside from what you do you have access to). Do you want tangy? Vinegar or Red. Sweet? White Riesling. Deep and earthy? Bavarian.
8. If you come away from this thinking “this is good, but very rich and not much contrast”, I would suggest taking a note from the Swedish and pair with lingonberry jam, or a very sharp and punchy cheddar, shredded.

I cannot stress nor overstate how fundamental Mise en place is in the kitchen; essential when dealing with raw meats or high-temp wok cooking. Learn it, live it.

Love, Jimi