Pork Tenderloin Schnitzel with Altbier Mustard Sauce
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Since the sauce requires reducing, avoid using any very hoppy/bitter beers. A nice Oktoberfest/Marzen beer would also work nicely in this as well as a Helles.
Ingredients
For the pork tenderloin schnitzel
- 1 pork tenderloin
- 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
- salt & pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2TB milk
- 3/4 cup (95g) panko or regular bread crumbs
- 1tsp paprika
- Olive oil
For the beer mustard sauce
- Olive oil
- 1 large or 2 small shallots, minced
- 1 1/2 cups (350ml) chicken broth
- 6 oz (175ml) beer
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy/double cream
- 3TB German mustard
- 2TB fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1TB salted butter
Instructions
To prepare the pork
- Slice the tenderloin into 1-inch (2.5cm) rounds.
- Place a round inside of a plastic bag and lb until you have achieved 1/4″-1/8″ (.35-.65cm) thickness. Repeat with the remaining rounds.
- Set out three shallow bowls.
- Season the flour with salt and pepper in one of the bowls. Combine the milk and egg in another and, finally, the paprika-seasoned breadcrumbs in the last one.
- Heat about 2TB of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Dredge the pork through the flour first, followed by the egg mixture, and then the breadcrumbs.
- Sauté the pork in the hot oil, working in batches, for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through. If necessary, take a paper towel between batches and clean out the pan to remove any burned bits and pieces. Allow the fresh oil to come to a shimmering point before adding the meat.
- Set the prepared cutlets aside and keep warm.
To prepare the sauce
- Lower the heat to medium low. In the same pan, add a bit of olive oil and allow it to heat up. Add the minced shallots and let sweat for a couple of minutes. Stir often, scraping up any brown bits from the pan. Do not let them brown.
- Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth. Stir scraping up any remaining brown bits on the pan. Increase the heat to medium and let the broth and shallots come to a boil and reduce slightly. Stir in the beer and let simmer and reduce slightly or about five minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream, mustard, and dill (or parsley.) Let the cream bubble to thicken the sauce. Let it “bubble” over medium heat until the sauce has thickened. Keep an eye on it or the cream will boil over!
- Finish off with a pat of salted butter. Season to taste.
- Spoon the sauce over the prepared pork cutlets. Serve with a nice German lager.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 560
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
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- Dijon Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin
- Beer-Marinated Grilled Parmesan Pork Loin
- Pork Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce and Roasted Apples
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I use a hoppy or bitter beer in the sauce?
The excerpt specifically cautions against it: because the sauce requires the beer to reduce alongside chicken broth and cream, a very hoppy beer concentrates and turns unpleasantly bitter. The recipe calls for an Altbier, with Märzen or Helles listed as good alternatives—malt-forward styles that mellow rather than intensify when reduced.
How thin should I pound the pork, and why does it matter?
The recipe calls for pounding each 1-inch round to ¼”–?” thickness (about 0.35–0.65 cm) inside a plastic bag. Pounding this thin ensures the breaded cutlets cook through in just 3–4 minutes per side at medium heat without the crust burning before the interior is done. 
How do I keep the cream sauce from boiling over?
The instructions specifically warn to “keep an eye on it or the cream will boil over.” Once the heavy cream is stirred in with the mustard and dill, let it bubble at medium heat to thicken—but watch it closely. The butter pat added at the end finishes and enriches the sauce off the heat.
What should I do between batches when frying the schnitzels?
The recipe says to wipe out the pan between batches with a paper towel to remove any burned breadcrumb bits, then let the fresh oil come to a “shimmering point” before adding the next cutlets. This prevents bitter dark residue from tainting the crust.
