Kotlety
Котлеты: juicy Russian pork and beef patties, pan-fried and gently steamed
Kotlety are what a Russian grandmother makes on an ordinary Tuesday and what Soviet school canteens served at lunch: soft, oval patties of minced pork and beef, fried golden and finished with a splash of water under a lid. They contain pork. Bread soaked in milk is the secret to their tenderness; the patties stay juicy enough to eat cold the next day in a sandwich. Serve them with mashed potato or buckwheat (grechka), a few pickles and a spoon of the pan juices. The mistake most people make is leaving out the soaked bread or using breadcrumbs instead, which gives dense, dry burgers rather than kotlety. Chef's tip: wet your hands with cold water before shaping each patty, so the soft mince doesn't stick and the surface stays smooth.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the patties
For frying
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Tear 2 ⅞ oz white bread into pieces and soak in ½ cup milk for 5 minutes, until completely soft. Squeeze lightly and mash with a fork.
5 minStep 2: Put 12 ½ oz beef mince, 12 ½ oz pork mince, the soaked bread, 1 onion with its juice, 2 cloves garlic, 1 egg, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper in a large bowl. Mix with your hand for 2 minutes, until smooth and slightly sticky. Wash your hands well after handling raw mince.
Step 3: With wet hands, shape the mixture into 8 oval patties about 2 cm thick. Roll each one in 2 ⅛ oz dried breadcrumbs and pat off the excess.
Step 4: Heat 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the patties for 4 minutes on each side, until deep golden and crisp.
8 minStep 5: Turn the heat to low, pour ½ cup water into the pan (it will hiss) and cover with a lid. Steam for 8–10 minutes, until the patties feel firm and a thermometer in the centre reads 160°F; the juices should run clear with no pink.
10 minStep 6: Take off the lid and cook for 2 minutes more so the bottoms crisp up again. Rest for 3 minutes before serving with mash or buckwheat and the pan juices. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 2 days; reheat until steaming hot.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kotlety take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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