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By J.Ho, June 5, 2006 11:49 pm

Probably the most prominent dishes in German cuisine is the schnitzel. I lived in Germany for four years and I can tell you there isn’t much to choose from when it comes to good German cooking. However, what they do well, they do REAL well. I ate schnitzel every chance I got.

There are three basic varieties of schnitzel: Schnitzel is a thin pork cutlet, breaded and fried. Weinerschnitzel is a thin veal cutlet, breaded and fried. Jägerschnitzel a thin pork or veal cutlet smothered in a rich brown mushroom gravy.

When I was a kid, I wasn’t too fond of jagerschnitzel since I didn’t like mushrooms all that much. Luckily my taste buds grew up along with me. When my family and I went out to a German gasthaus (neighborhood restaurant) I would usually order a weinerschnitzel smothered with krauterbutter (a German garlic-herb butter) and a side of fries. Schnitzels were also often served with spaten (German noodle dumplings) or potato croquettes.

I’ve tried jägerschnitzel in several German restaurants in the US, but most places I’ve been to really suck. The only good German restaurant I’ve been to in the US is the Zum Rheingarten. It was just down the street from where I lived near MCB Quantico. It is a GREAT restaurant. Innovative menu, awesome selection of rare German beers & wines all housed in a quaint Bavarian-style building. I ordered the jägerschnitzel but it wasn’t breaded. Every restaurant I’ve ever been to in Germany breaded their jägerschnitzel. I’ve read up on it and “traditional” jägerschnitzel isn’t breaded. Culinary tradition is usually for the birds anyway.

Jägerschnitzel is German for the “hunter’s cutlet.” Served with potato pancakes, jägerschnitzel is the typical meal the hunter would have the night before an early morning hunting excursion. Of course it’s always good with a few swigs of Jägermeister!

Last year I was thinking how much I missed out on good jägerschnitzel while I was there. I figured it couldn’t be that hard to make. After several trials and errors, here is the recipe I’ve come up with:

4 boneless pork or veal cutlets
½ cup light olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 8oz packages fresh white mushrooms, stemmed & sliced
2 ½ cups beef broth
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
2 heaping tablespoons flour
¾ cup heavy cream
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons liquid Maggi seasoning
Small handful flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 cup plain Progresso brand bread crumbs
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 200. Place the boneless cutlets in a large zip-up plastic bag and pound thin with a meat mallet. Mix the eggs and the milk in a wide, shallow bowl. Place the bread crumbs in another wide, shallow bowl. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Dredge the cutlets in the bread crumbs, then in the egg wash and then in the bread crumbs again. Place the coated cutlets in the hot oil and sauté for 5-7 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. You may only be able to cook one or two cutlets at a time depending on how large of a pan you have. Add a little more oil if the pan gets too dry. As they are done, transfer them to the oven to keep warm.

When all the cutlets are done add the minced onion to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes then add the minced garlic, salt & pepper. Sauté for another five minutes or until the onions begin to appear translucent. Add 1 cup of the beef broth and turn the heat up to high. Let the broth boil down for about 10-12 minutes. Add the mushrooms, the other cup of beef broth, the cream and the Maggi seasoning. Let it boil down for a few minutes while stirring. Take the three teaspoons of flour and mix it with the last ½ cup of beef broth in a small bowl or measuring cup. Mix it well with a fork till it is all dissolved. Slowly stir in the flour/broth mixture while the pan is boiling. This will thicken the sauce up pretty good. Use your judgment on how thick you want it. It will continue to thicken for a minute or two after you stop pouring in the flour/broth mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook slowly for five minutes while stirring.

Take the cutlets out of the oven and transfer to your serving plates. Smother them with the mushroom sauce. I typically make this with egg noodles & boiled carrots. Enjoy and let me know how it turns out! Yankees suck!

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By J.Ho, March 8, 2006 11:53 am

I love red wine. I love filet Mignon. I love filet Mignon in red wine. Makes sense doesn’t it? This recipe is as simple as it is delicious. Have a crack at it and let me know what you think.

1½ pounds of filet Mignon, about 1″ thick
1 oz salt pork, chopped fine
2 large cloves of fresh garlic, minced
¼ cup of sweet butter
Three tablespoons of red Burgundy
10 sprigs of fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, leaves only, minced
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine salt pork, garlic and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic for about two or three minutes, do not burn. Add steaks and cook on each side for four minutes. Add salt, pepper and wine; cover and cook for two more minutes. Add the minced parsley and shake and swirl around in the skillet. Serve on warm plates and pour the sauce from the pan over them.

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By J.Ho, March 8, 2006 11:05 am

Since half of my heritage is southern, what better time to reminisce about home cooked southern food than on a cold day in New England?

It ain’t steak and it ain’t chicken. So what is it? Chicken fried steak is a slice of tenderized beef round that is dipped in egg and flour, then fried and smothered in a creamy, peppery pan gravy. Like grits, if it’s made right, it’s heaven. If it’s not, it’s awful. This is THE dish that cast iron skillets were invented for. No matter where my travels take me, I’m on a never ending quest for delicious chicken fried steak. Four out of five times I’ll order it somewhere, it’s not all that great. Three out of five, it’s downright awful. But that one in five, or sometimes, one in ten, it’s magical!!!

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons of flour
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 cup vegetable shortening
4 8-oz pieces trimmed beef top round, pounded to ¼ inch thickness
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper

Put 2 cups of flour into a wide, shallow dish and generously season with salt and pepper. Put eggs, cream and ½ cup of the milk into another wide, shallow dish and beat well.

Heat oven to 200°. Melt shortening in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot or about 360° on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, working with one piece of meat at a time, lightly season both sides with salt & pepper. Dredge beef in seasoned flour, shaking off excess, then dip each side into egg mixture, then dredge in flour again, shaking off excess. Fry meat, turning only once, until dark golden brown on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat seasoning and cooking process with remaining meat and flour and egg mixtures, transferring meat to oven to keep warm.

Discard all but about 3 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add remaining flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add remaining milk, whisking constantly. Season gravy with cayenne and ½ teaspoon of black pepper and cook, whisking constantly, until consistency is slightly thicker than that of heavy cream, about 1 minute. Season to your liking with salt. Divide chicken fried steak between four plates and spoon plenty of gravy over each.

Serve this with buttered corn, green beans, biscuits and mashed potatoes … wash it down with some lemonade or a Southern Cherry and you’ll be in heaven.

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By J.Ho, March 8, 2006 7:15 am

Go away or I shall I taunt you a second time-ah!

Most Monty Python purists should catch that one. Recently a friend and I were loosely discussing planning a trip to Paris. Living in Europe for many years I got to visit Paris several times. I’d love to go back and I think we’re serious about it this time. I dusted out my trusty old French Provisional cookbook and sliced and diced through it to find some great recipes that I’ve tried in the past. The ones that follow are simple and awesome. For the record, I love French cooking! I don’t speak French, however, I do kiss that way.

The steak:
1 pound of top sirloin (one large piece preferably)
Salt and crushed black peppercorns
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brandy, warmed (zap it in the micro for 10-15 seconds)

Season the steak with the salt and peppercorns and brush it with a little oil. Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy pan. When it’s very hot add the steak. Cook the steak, turning only once, to your desired doneness. Remove the pan from the heat, pour the warmed brandy over it and ignite. When the flames have died down, transfer the steak to a serving dish and keep warm.

The sauce:
6 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoon butter
1 large clove garlic, crushed and minced
4 teaspoons fresh tarragon or dill, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Pour off the liquid from the steak into a small saucepan. Add the garlic, herbs and mustard to the saucepan, whisking well. Add the cream, and heat over very low heat, whisking all the time until the sauce is very hot, but not boiling. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the steak, against the grain, into ¼ inch slices. Pour the sauce over the steak and serve with Lyonnaise potatoes and leeks in white wine sauce.

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By J.Ho, March 7, 2006 4:49 pm

Since my heritage is ¼ Italian (Neapolitan), I figured I’d share one of my favorite Italian recipes. Veal Scaloppine alla Marsala is quite popular in Italian restaurants, but you rarely find it in the home kitchen. This is a technique that is easy, light and delish!! As always, if you try any of these, I demand feedback!

2 to 2 ½ pounds veal cutlets
All-purpose flour
12 tablespoons sweet butter
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 slices of imported Italian prosciutto, diced (don’t use any of the domestic crap)
2 large garlic cloves, mashed and minced
2 teaspoons crumbled dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fine Marsala wine or sherry
4 cups white mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
½ cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped fine

Pound veal cutlets thin and sprinkle with flour on both sides. Shake off any excess flour. Place butter and olive oil in a large skillet and heat. Add the veal slices and the prosciutto. Sauté for three minutes, then turn and add garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper. Cook for two more minutes. Add the wine, cover and sauté for three minutes. Uncover the skillet and add the mushrooms and parsley and cook slowly for six minutes longer. Serve with a green salad and/or a side of pasta.

This recipe also works well with chicken.

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By J.Ho, March 6, 2006 2:17 pm

There are two ways I do tri-tip: dry rubbed or marinated. There are several packaged dry rubs available in local supermarkets. I found one great Santa Maria-style packaged dry rub, but I forget the brand name. Grilled tri-tips are awesome if you’re looking for a quick cooking, good quality slab of beef. Who isn’t looking for that?

Dry Rub
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
1 tablespoon granulated onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely ground sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Liberally pack on the dry rub to a nicely marbled tri-tip roast. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cooking. This dry rub also goes well with ribs and pork roasts.

Marinade
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup light olive oil
½ cup white sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup black pepper
½ cup garlic salt
½ cup freshly chopped garlic
½ cup dried minced onions

This should be enough to marinade two four-pound tri-tip roasts. Whisk all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour a little of the marinade in the bottom of a large plastic storage container. Place the trimmed tri-tips in that container and pour the rest of the marinade over the roasts. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (overnight would be best). Turn them over and mix ‘em up a bit while they are marinating.

Remove tri-tip roasts from the refridgerator and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Cooking instructions should be the same for either dry rubbed or marinated tri-tips. Heat grill to medium temperature. Place roasts on grill and cook for about 35 minutes (turning once), or until desired doneness. Remove the tri-tips from the grill and let rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing.