A Childhood Discovery: “Nature” Steak vs. Breaded
When growing older, the Jägerschnitzel, usually with Spätzle, replaced the Schnitzel with fries as my favorite Schnitzel dish. The first time I ordered one as a child, I was a bit in shock: It is just a nature steak! My expectation was a breaded schnitzel with a mushroom gravy and not whatever that was. Once I overcame this initial shock, and I tried it, I learned the value of this pork steak like nature intended it. I would still most of the time pick the breaded variant, but the nature steak has its reason to exist.
The Jägerschnitzel Trinity
The creamy mushroom gravy I will show you in this little recipe post is the final missing ingredient to the whole Jaegerschnitzel Trinity: Schnitzel, Spätzle and Mushroom gravy. It makes one of the most perfect meals whole. It’s the last missing piece to a 1000 piece puzzle. It’s the yin to the Schnitzels yang. I am drifting away, but my opinion about this meal should be clear!
Versatility in the Kitchen
Yes, you can also use that sauce for everything else. Two other famous more vegetarian meals which go great with it are the Semmelknoedel (dumpling) and Kartoffelroesti (potato pancakes).
The Secret: The Two-Pan Method
When making this gravy I like to work with two pans. In one pan I am sautéing onions, garlic and mushrooms, while in the other pan I am making a roux. In Germany the more elegant solution was to use store bought roux for thickening. I am yet to find a good alternative for that. If you know of any, please leave a comment!
If you are making a nature steak, you should deglaze your meat-frying pan with a splash of broth and add that flavorful liquid into your gravy! We do not want to let any of that good taste go to waste!
Jägersauce – mushroom gravy
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fresh mushrooms (Cremini or Baby Bella work best), sliced
- 1 Medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 3 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 2 cups Beef or vegetable broth
- ½ cup Heavy cream or Half & Half
- ½ cup Parsley chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté (Pan 1): Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they have released their moisture and turned golden brown. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent.
- The Roux (Pan 2): In a separate small saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tbsp of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until it smells slightly nutty but hasn't turned dark brown.
- The Merge: Slowly whisk the broth into your roux to create a smooth, thick base.
- Combine: Pour the thickened sauce into the mushroom pan.
- The Secret Flavor: If you are making "nature" steaks, use a little extra broth to deglaze your meat pan and pour those delicious brown bits (the Fond) directly into the gravy.
- Cream & Season: Stir in the heavy cream and parsley. Let it simmer for 5 minutes until the flavors meld. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Serving Suggestion: Pour this generously over your Spätzle and your Schnitzel to complete the Trinity!
Don’t forget to check out my recipe for bread dumplings!
Tried my recipe? If so, let me know what you think and leave a comment!🥨🦉
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