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    Jägerschnitzel (Hunter’s cutlet with mushroom gravy)

     Jägerschnitzel is crispy fried pork cutlets topped with one of the tastiest and creamiest mushroom gravies you can cook. It is a very rustic and classic traditional dish all the way from Austria, though it is also a classic in Germany.

    Your otherwise oh-so-boring pork loin gets transformed after some beating into tender pork schnitzel.

    Pair it with an awesome gravy over some spaetzel or egg noodles with some cool beers on the side and you are all set for some great food!

    jagerschnitzel in a bowl with spaetzle

    Fall is in the air. Octoberfest has come and gone. As I saw the news of all the eating and drinking they do in that Bavarian land this time of the year, I thought one of these days I would love to go to all of those European countries and try their festivals and foods and culture.

    Octoberfest sounds so fun and festive. I have been kind of curious about German culture after becoming a Beiser. You see, it’s predominantly a German name. My husband has lots of English and French in his blood, but mainly it’s German.

    I really wanted to surprise Jas one of these days by cooking something that would make his German genes happy, so I dug a little deeper than their Sauerkrauts, wursts and, of course, the famous schnitzels. I love gravy and I love mushrooms, so I decided to try Jägerschnitzel.

    What is Jägerschnitzel?

    jagerschnitzel on a bed of spaetzel in a rustic bowl, with a stein of beer in the background

    Schnitzels are thin, often pounded, fried slices of meat. They are known by many names throughout the world, including “escalope” in France, “milanesa” in Italy and South America, and “tonkatsu” in Japan. The word schnitzel is of German origin.

    Though originally from Austria, Jägerschnitzel is now a major part of German cuisine. It is traditionally cooked with veal, venison or wild boar, but now a days it is more commonly cooked with pork.

    After pounding it is often breaded. It’s then fried and served with a rich, creamy mushroom gravy. The name Jägerschnitzel translates to “hunter’s cutlet”.

    Ingredients for the Schnitzels:

    overhead shot of all ingredients we are using for this dish
    • Boneless pork chops – We are using loin, but any thin boneless pork chops will work.
    • Flour, eggs and bread crumbs – For dredging, in that order.
    • Salt and pepper – for flavor.
    • Oil – to fry your schnitzels in.

    And for the gravy:

    • Butter, flour and beef broth – Your brown gravy standards.
    • Mushrooms – hence the “mushroom gravy”.
    • Sour cream, pepper, thyme and a touch of balsamic vinegar – because we want this gravy to taste really good!

    How to make the mushroom gravy:

    Sauté mushroom slices and garlic with 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat (you can caramelize a little chopped onions before adding mushrooms, but I avoided onions for my onionphobic husband, as this is something special for him). Remove mushrooms from pan when soft.

    sliced mushrooms cooking in a pan

    Reduce heat to medium and add 4 Tbsp butter into the pan. Yes, I never said anywhere this is a waist-friendly dish, this is rustic hunter-style cooking with a rich depth in flavors. And, as I always say for flavors, you need to add flavor to get flavor.

    When the butter melts, add your flour and stir in for few seconds till the raw smell of the flour goes away. Then, slowly add your beef broth and stir continuously to avoid clumps for about 5 minutes.

    gravy in a pan

    Once you have a beautiful smooth gravy, add your mushrooms back in along with pepper, thyme and a touch of balsamic vinegar. In the very end, add a little sour cream to make it Germany 😊. If it gets too thick, just add a little water.

    mushrooms added to gravy

    How to make your schnitzels:

    Start out by getting you skillet preheated over medium high heat with 1/4 to 1/2 inch cooking oil (we used canola).

    It’s all about pounding your schnitzels very thin, about ¼ inch thick, that’s what gets them nice and tender. I recommend placing them, one at a time, in a ziploc bag and beating with a meat mallet, or any reasonable alternative (years back, we once used an empty wine bottle to pound conch!).

    three dishes lines up with flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs

    Season the floor with salt and pepper, then dredge your pork cutlets in flour followed, by beaten eggs and finally breadcrumbs.

    collage of four pictures: beaten pork chops, followed by chops dredged in flour, followed by chops dredged in beaten eggs and finally dredged in bread crumbs

    Immediately place these schnitzels in hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side until they are a nice golden brown. They turn out perfectly crispy outside, yet nice and tender inside. Remove to a paper towel lined dish to drain off excess oil.

    two schnitzels in the frying pan

    How to serve Jägerschnitzel

    Traditionally, this amazing dish is served with french fries or potato salad, but we want something to sop up some of that delicious gravy! We found some späetzle (a type of noodle local to central Europe) at our local grocery store.

    Other great, if not traditional, side dish options are mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Whichever side you choose, spoon plenty of that wonderful gravy over your schnitzels. Perhaps you want to have an all out German night and have a side of my sauerkraut balls!

    jagerschnitzel on a bed of spaetzel in a rustic bowl, ready for serving

    People Often Ask:

    I am avoiding red meat, can I use chicken?

    Yes! Although it may not be “Jägerschnitzel” in the strictest sense, it will still be absolutely delicious. I would recommend using butterflied chicken breast.

    Can I bake the schnitzels?

    Certainly! If you are looking to reduce the fat content, baking is a great alternative cooking method. Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Line a baking try with parchment paper and lightly brush with oil. Then place your schnitzels on the tray. Bake 10 minutes, turn, and bake for another 10 minutes.

    What should I do with leftovers?

    As with any fried foods, this is really best eaten fresh, so I recommend cooking what you will eat in one sitting. If you do happen to have leftovers, refrigerate them for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat over medium heat in a lightly oiled skillet.

    jagerschnitzel on a bed of spaetzel in a rustic bowl garnished with fresh parsley

    Now all that is left, my dear friends, is garnish with some parsley and dig in with some nice chilled beer… Guten Appetit!!

    Jägerschnitzel, on my GypsyPlate… Enjoy!

    jagerschnitzel on the gypsy plate

    Want to try more comfort foods from around the world?
    Creamy Lemon Chicken
    Welsh Rarebit
    Puerto Rican Picadillo
    Caribbean Coconut Mussel Curry
    Blackened (AKA Cajun) Shrimp and Grits
    Alpana’s Chicken Masala
    Eggplant Parmesan
    Chicken Caldereta
    Pastel de Choclo

    Jagerschnitzel.

    Jägerschnitzel

    Yield: 4 servings
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes

    Jägerschnitzel, translated as Hunter's Schnitzel, is about as "comfort foody" as you can get. It's rich. It's fried. And, oh, that gravy! Originating in Austria, though also commonly associated with Germany, this treat will leave a satisfied smile on your face!

    Ingredients

    Gravy

    • 16oz mushrooms
    • 6 Tbsp butter, divided
    • 4 Tbsp flour
    • 2 cups beef broth
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • 2 Tbsp sour cream
    • Pepper to taste

    Schnitzel

    • 4 boneless pork loin chops
    • 1/2 cups flour
    • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
    • 3 eggs, beaten
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • Cooking oil

    Instructions

    Gravy

    1. Melt two Tbsp butter in medium pan. Add mushrooms and garlic, sauté until mushrooms are soft, then set aside.
    2. Melt 4 Tbsp in pan over medium heat. Add flour and stir into a smooth roux.
    3. Slowly add beef broth while constantly stirring. It you add the broth all at one the gravy may become lumpy.
    4. Once all broth has been mixed in, add vinegar, pepper and thyme. Simmer until desired consistency, adding water if it gets too thick. When ready to serve, fold in sour cream.

    Schnitzel

    1. Place pork chops, one at a time in a large ziploc bag. Pound with meat mallet until approximately 1/4 inch thick.
    2. Heat oil (about 1/4-1/2 inch deep) in large skillet over medium high heat (325°F if using an electric skillet).
    3. Ready three shallow dishes with bread crumbs, beaten eggs and mixture of flour, salt and pepper.
    4. Dredge two beaten pork chops in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Add to skillet (you will likely only be able to fit two at a time). Fry 2-3 minutes per side.
    5. Remove onto paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining two chops.
    6. Serve with späetzle or egg noodles and top with gravy.

    Notes

    1. As with most fried foods, these schnitzels are best eaten fresh, so we recommend cooking one per person.
    2. The gravy, on the other hand, makes a great leftover. Make plenty!
    3. This recipe works great with other meats as well. Veal is the most traditional, and chicken works nicely also.
    4. If you want to try side dish variations, these schnitzels are often served with either french fries or potato salad. We just love the noodles for sopping up our gravy!

    Nutrition Information
    Yield 4 Serving Size 1
    Amount Per Serving Calories 596Total Fat 35gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 257mgSodium 1361mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 36g

    Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

    Did you make this recipe?

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    pinterest image for this post

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