Meat cutlets
5 servings
60 minutes
Meat patties are a soulful dish of Russian cuisine, a symbol of family dinner and home comfort. Their history goes back centuries when meat was mixed with bread for softness and juiciness. The golden crust hides a tender texture and rich flavor, complemented by the aroma of fried onions and spices. The secret to their juiciness is the right balance of ingredients and careful mixing of the mince. These patties pair perfectly with mashed potatoes, buckwheat, or fresh vegetables, becoming the heart of the meal. Tasty, hearty, and easy to prepare, they remain a classic on the table, bringing warmth and memories of home traditions.
1
Grind the meat through a coarse grinder or buy coarsely ground minced meat.
- Meat: 1 kg
2
Finely chop the onion into cubes about 4-5 mm. Do not grind the onion, the cutlets will be much worse. Add the chopped onion to the minced meat.
- Onion: 1 head
3
Soak the bread in water, squeeze out all the water, and add it to the minced meat. The main topic in cutlets is the amount of bread. For about a kilogram of minced meat, I add a little more than a third of a sliced loaf. If too little bread is added to the cutlets, they turn out tough and tasteless.
- Stale white bread: 300 g
4
Adding an egg to the minced meat helps prevent the patties from falling apart in the pan.
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
5
Salt and pepper to taste, then knead the minced meat until it forms a uniform mass.
6
Heat the pan slightly, pour in sunflower or olive oil, and place the formed patties. Do not make the patties large and too thick, as they will take longer to fry and lose all their juice; a thickness of about 1.5 cm is sufficient. When the patties are browned on one side, flip them. The patties need to be flipped a couple more times. Do not pour in water or cover with a lid — this will boil them. 7-8 minutes is enough for a 1.5 cm thick patty to cook through.