Venison Schnitzel with Paprika Beer Sauce
Schnitzel uses a roast sliced across the grain and pounded into cutlets. Cutting across the grain and pounding tenderizes meat, it cooks quickly, and cutlets prepared this way can be accompanied by a variety of sauces.
Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
1 lb. venison roast, cut into 1” thick slices across the grain
4 tsp. paprika, divided
½ tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ c. all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, whisked together thoroughly
2 c. panko crumbs
¼ c. olive oil
3 oz. red bell pepper, sliced ¼” thick
6 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, sliced ¼” thick
½ tsp. Kosher salt
1 c. venison or beef stock
¾ c. lager or amber beer, divided
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ c. half and half or heavy cream, warm
1½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2-3 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the venison slices to ¼” thickness between plastic wrap. Combine 2 tsp. paprika, salt, and pepper and season both sides of cutlets with the spices. Put the flour, egg, and panko each in separate flat bowls. Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, then coat with egg, then cover with panko, pressing gently to help crumbs adhere. Set aside on a clean plate in a single layer while the skillet preheats.
In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat add half the oil. When the oil is shimmering add half the cutlets and quickly brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside; repeat with remaining oil and cutlets.
Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes until some of the moisture is released. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown. Add the salt and remaining 2 tsp. of paprika and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the beef stock, ½ c. of beer, and mustard, stirring to scrape up any browned bits in the pan, then simmer to reduce liquid by half. Turn heat to low, whisk in the cream and simmer 2-3 minutes. Put the 1½ Tbsp. of flour into a small bowl and whisk in the remaining ¼ c. of beer to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the sauce, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil. Stir in lemon juice and taste and adjust seasonings as needed with salt and pepper. Divide the schnitzel between four plates, top with sauce, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and serve with a lemon wedge.
Generally, there are two schools of thought when it comes to processing your own deer. Which method you choose depends on the amount of time you have available, your cooking style, and how much help you have.
Method One - do as much cutting, portioning, and grinding as possible before freezing. The pro is there’s minimal work to do when you thaw the meat; the con is the time consuming front-end work of trimming, cutting, grinding, and portioning.
Method Two – practice seam butchering and freeze the meat in whole muscle pieces. (In both methods there will be pieces too small to do anything with besides grind.) The pros: butchering takes less time and well-wrapped larger pieces are less prone to freezer burn. The biggest pro – and the main reason I prefer this method - is that I have lots of options when it’s time to cook. Whole or half backstraps are pan-seared and roasted, cubed for a stir-fry, or cut into fillet mignons. Whole muscle pieces are grilled and sliced thin, or cut into stew meat. A large roast can be braised for pot roast or transform into 2-3 different meals in the same week: take several center-cut slices out for cutlets, cube and marinate some for kebabs, grind the small ends and trim pieces for burgers or casseroles later in the week. The con: with a little meal planning, there is no downside!