Cutlets from minced meat
Description
The key to making these cutlets lies in the starting ingredient: overly dry mince will tend to fall apart in the pan, while too wet mince (which often happens with chicken, for example) will spread out while cooking. Of course, you could solve these issues by adding some finely chopped bacon or animal fat to dry mince, or thickening wet mince with flour—but let's face it, that's extra hassle. It's much easier to simply start with the right ingredients. Besides, such "corrections" don't always improve the taste of the dish. So, the mince should be sufficiently fatty, neither too dry nor too wet—basically, a normal (and ideally homemade) pork-and-beef mince. With that, everything will turn out perfectly! As for whether to fry or bake the cutlets, in my opinion, it doesn't make much difference. Either way, they taste delicious. Fried ones are just more caloric, while baked ones tend to be drier. Now, let me tell you how to do it.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Do not add anything to the meat—no onions, no eggs, or other typical "meatball" ingredients. Season it with salt and pepper, optionally press in a couple of garlic cloves, and thoroughly knead with wet hands, trying to incorporate as much air as possible, enriching the meat with oxygen to make it juicier and more tender.
- 2
Step 2
Divide the minced meat into 12 portions and shape each into a patty about 1 centimeter thick.
- 3
Step 3
Dip each one first into beaten egg.
- 4
Step 4
Then into the flour.
- 5
Step 5
Again into the eggs.
- 6
Step 6
And into the breadcrumbs.
- 7
Step 7
Now we either place the cutlets on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes...
- 8
Step 8
Or fry in a pan with vegetable oil on both sides until a golden crust forms.
- 9
Step 9
Serve the cutlets hot, and eat the leftovers (if any remain, of course) cold—they're delicious either way ;)