Ohiofarmgirl's Adventures in The Good Land is largely a fish out of water tale about how I eventually found my footing on a small farm in an Amish town. We are a mostly organic, somewhat self sufficient, sustainable farm in Ohio. There's action and adventure and I'll always tell you the truth about farming.


Friday, November 15, 2013

Just Wild About Schnitzel

I know you are probably wondering, "OFG, just what are you doing with all those turkeys?" Well, let me tell you. The Great Turkey Harvest of 2013 rolls on.

These turkeys are pretty darn big.

It's working really well to do a couple turkeys a day, let them rest in our beer fridge over nite, then I part them up the next day. We are down to 8 and hopefully by the end of the weekend it will be more like 4 or 5. We'll see how it goes.

While it's a certainty we won't be having turkey for Thanksgiving, we are enjoying turkey. A lot. As in we are greatly enjoying it and we are enjoying it in great quantities. Mostly, to me anyway, turkey is really versatile. Sure if you season it with poultry seasoning and cook it with butter it will taste like the most soon-to-be-forgotten holiday.... but you can do lots of other things with turkey. I'm kind of surprised that it's not more popular thru the year.

Note: the lighting in my house right now in horrid. I did the best I could. 

Right now we are on a meatball bender and a schnitzel tirade. Traditionally schnitzel is really just a cutlet, generally pounded flat as a pancake, then dipped in egg/milk, floured, then fried. It's tremendous and we are lovin' us some schnitzel.

It's extremely easy to make. I cut the turkey breast into cutlets and then get out a heavy cleaver. Sure you can use a meat mallet or a small fry pan, but my big ol' Japanese cleaver gets it done. Slap your meat between some plastic wrap and smack it flat. It's a lot of fun.

Then I let the flattened cutlets float around in some milk seasoned with some salt, pepper, and a little paprika. Put a little flour and/or some bread crumbs on a plate and then flip and flop the cutlets to coat.

I love this antique cast iron skillet....and chicken fat. I love to cook with chicken fat.

Meanwhile heat up your favorite pan and some chicken fat. Chicken fat? Sure! Why not? We still have some from when I rendered it out as chicken lard. And it gives a wonderful flavor. I could be mistaken but I believe it has a fairly high smoke point, based on results. Make sure you have enough to fill the bottom of your fry pan.

When the oil is hot, place the cutlets in the pan carefully and let them brown up nicely, turning once. At this point I usually turn on the oven to 400*. When the cutlets are done - browned on both sides - I put them in the oven to finish cooking and to keep them hot. They are done when the juices run clear. Depending on the size of your schnitzel this could be just a few minutes or 15.

These are really small cutlets. They were for lunch.

At this point you can enjoy all that schnitzel-y goodness as is.. or pour out the fat from your fry pan, keeping a couple tablespoons or so,  add some flour to the remaining fat and cooking it for a minute, then add some milk, and make yourself some gravy.

See? Wasn't that easy?

Hopefully you have as many potatoes as I do - and have them all mashed up and lovely. Then just fill your plate with schnitzel, potatoes, and gravy and watch all of your cares disappear.

This is one of our favorite farm meals. It can be done in about 30 minutes and requires very little effort. Why wouldn't you give this a try?

Happy Friday everyone! Are you making schnitzel?

5 comments:

Heavens Door Acres said...

Oh my....taking "turkey heaven" to a new level there! I swear....I don't know how you and the man don't weigh 400 + pounds!! ( maybe you do since we never get to see pics, LOL ) But, from your shadow pics we see you don't. Everything you cook makes me hungry...I am SO going to have to make these...soon!! GOOD JOB!!!

Akannie said...

OFG..sounds great. Lots of German settlers around these parts, so we see these kinds of food all the time.

How long does it take to raise the turkeys to harvest size ? I'm thinking about giving it a try. I like turkey too, all year 'round, in all sorts of dishes. I always get several turkeys around this time of year when the price drops low and then I slow cook and can broth and meat for soups and stuff. And turkey with noodles. yum...

David said...

that looks so good, but I think I need a nap if there is taters and gravy!

buddeshepherd said...

Sergeant Schultz was big on Schnitzel. He was pretty big in general I suppose.

MT Dreamer said...

Yum! I must say I've never had turkey schnitzel...must resolve my lack of that real soon!

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