Dishbeginnerdraft

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (Zurich-style veal)

Also searched as: Zurich-style veal, sliced veal in cream sauce, Geschnetzeltes

In short: Zürcher Geschnetzeltes works when the meat is seared only briefly and goes back into the sauce right at the end.

Picture it

Like a guest who only turns up for dessert: if the meat goes into the sauce too early, it turns tough.

The decisive moments

1
Pat the meat dry and sear it in batches in a very hot pan
Too much meat at once cools the pan; it stews in its own juice and turns grey.
Steak turns grey instead of brown
2
Take the meat out and sweat onions and mushrooms in the pan residue
The brown roasted bits on the bottom of the pan are the base of the sauce.
Maillard reaction
3
Deglaze with white wine and reduce, then add cream
Wine dissolves the residue; concentrates the flavour.
Deglazing
4
Reduce the sauce until silky, then just warm the meat through in it
Thin strips of meat cook through quickly. If they boil in the sauce, the fibres contract and turn dry.
Proteins change (denaturation)

Sources · 1