This is a classic Swiss-German meat dish which in its most common form is known as Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, or Züri Gschnätzlets in Swiss-German. Sometimes Swiss cookbooks refer to it as Geschnetzeltes nach Zürcher Art (where Art refers to style). In the contemporary sense it is thin strips of veal, cooked with a mushroom cream sauce, and typically served with Rösti. The word Geschnetzeltes translates to “finely chopped meat”, which usually refers to veal fillets thinly cut into strips. The origins of the recipe likely trace back to the 1940s. There is a recipe in Rosa Graf’s “Goldene Kochfibel” (Golden Cooking Primer), published in 1947 (p.564), but it is titled “Geschnetzeltes Kalbfleisch“, but makes no reference to Zürich. It is also only seems to deglaze the veal quickly with a little white wine, cream and brown sauce – something that doesn’t exactly seem mesh with the cream sauce found in more contemporary renditions. Another book, Das neue Kochbuch by Willy Brenneisen names the dish “Geschnetzeltes nach Zürcher Art“, but again it lacks the cream sauce.

Elizabeth Fülscher’s book Kochbuch (mine is the 1996 edition) has a recipe for “Geschnetzeltes Kalbfleisch” (Recipe #738), which is similar to those above, and suggests that it could be served “nach Zürcher Art” with Hörnli and Apfelmus, i.e. macaroni and apple sauce. It also gives a second style in which sliced mushrooms are added. It is Marianne Kaltenbach’s book Aus Schweizer Küchen (1977), that provides a recipe with a good cream sauce, using 200ml of white wine, and 200ml of cream (for 600g of meat). What is clear from looking at older recipes is that many were lacking sauces. Also missing from these recipes is something which according to Betty Bossi is quintessential to Zürcher Geschnetzeltes – kidneys. Very few people cook with kidneys these days, so many recipes omit them (but if you want to use them substitute 200g of the veal for kidneys).

Now I usually make Geschnetzeltes with pork fillet, which in my perspective makes the dish a little more economical, yet just as delicious (in Canada, veal is not as readily available as pork fillet). The use of veal in traditional Swiss recipes is quite common, due in part due to its availability, i.e. the large dairy industry.

I N G R E D I E N T S
1 piece veal, or a pork fillet (circa 500-600g)
1-2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. clarified butter or oil

SAUCE
2 tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
200g button mushrooms, sliced
½ tsp. oregano or sage (dried, or equiv. fresh)
100ml white wine
100ml beef stock
200ml heavy cream (>25% milk fat)
salt and black pepper (freshly ground)
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

① Cut the pork fillet into medallions, and then into small, thin strips (across the grain). Sprinkle the flour over the meat, and coat well. Heat the clarified butter or oil in a frying pan, and fry the meat briefly over high heat. Remove the meat from the pan and keep it warm (in a very low oven).

② Heat the butter in a Dutch oven on medium heat, and sauté the onions with the herbs, for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms. Stir well, and when the mushrooms begin to soften, cook for a further 5 minutes.

③ Add the wine and beef stock to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the warm meat, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half – about 10 minutes.

④ Before serving, season with salt and pepper, and add the cream. Allow to simmer on low for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chopped parsley, and serve.

Note you can replace the wine with another 100ml of beef stock. I serve it with Rösti, but it is just as good served with pasta such as shell pasta, or even rice.