Russian Burgers Kotlety Recipes

CLASSIC RUSSIAN KOTLETI (MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• Soak the bread pieces in milk for about 10 minutes. Shred the bread into small pieces.
• Mix ground chicken with egg, mayonnaise, and bread. Mix in onion and season to taste.
• Preheat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Spoon equal portions of the meat mixture into the pan, leaving a little bit of space between each patty. Fry on each side until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes on each side).

KOTLETY (RUSSIAN/UKRAINIAN MEAT PATTIES)

Steps:

• Add beef and pork to a large mixing bowl.
• Place bread in small bowl and pour milk or water on top and let bread soak for 2-3 minutes. After time is up, mash up bread and milk with fingers until it's all wet and smashed up into a thick paste.
• Mix garlic, paprika, salt and pepper together in a small ramekin.
• Add bread mixture, grated onion, eggs and spices large mixing bowl with meat.
• Mix meat mixture well (fingers work best) until fully combined.
• Preheat your cooking device: cast iron skillet or griddle to Medium/ Medium low and once warm add enough oil just to coat bottom. (If using panini press preheat it now) I do like to use a cast iron skillet sometimes to make these as well, but you need to watch the heat on the cast iron more closely to not burn the kotlety.
• Form patties with meat mixture, I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and make them about 1" thick (round or oval, your preference)

KOTLETY - POLISH PATTIES

Steps:

• 1. Soak the bread in a bowl with a cup or two of cold water..enough to make it moist. Set aside.
• 2. Finely dice both onions. Put half of onion in big mixing bowl.
• 3. Grab handfuls of wet bread, squeezing out excess water, and add to onion in bowl. Mix all together loosely. Set aside.
• 4. Sautee the other half of the onions in 1 Tbs. butter. Add to mixing bowl with the bread.
• 5. Add rest of ingredients (except for the oil). Mash together with wet hands.
• 6. Form into patties the size of your palm. Fry in pan with the hot oil for about 10 minutes, until juices run clear.

KOTLETY POZHARSKIE (RUSSIAN GROUND CHICKEN CUTLETS)

Steps:

• Soak bread slices in the milk in a small bowl for 15 minutes, then squeeze the bread dry.
• Combine the bread with the meat (grind together if you have a meat grinder), and gradually beat in the softened butter, along with the salt& pepper, until the mixture is smooth.
• Make 6 oval patties from this mixture (about 1 1/2" thick), then dip each in egg and then in the bread crumbs, thoroughly coating both sides.
• Clarify the remaining 10 tbsp butter by, without letting the butter brown, melting it slowly in a heavy skillet over low heat and skimming off the foam as it rises.
• Remove the butter from heat and let it sit for 2-3 minutes so they whey can settle out, then spoon off the clear butter and discard the milky solids at the bottom of the pan, and return 6 tbsp of the butter to the skillet.
• Place over a medium-high heat and when the butter is very hot fry the patties for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until the outside is golden brown and the inside doesn't look pink when pierced with the tip of a knife.
• Pour remaining clarified butter over the patties and serve immediately.

KOTLETI

Steps:

• 1. In a mixing bowl, combine the first eight ingredients and blend well into a homogenous mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• 2. With wet hands, shape the mixture into oval patties approximately 3 1/2 inches long. Spread bread crumbs on a large plate or a sheet of wax paper. Coat patties in crumbs, flattening them out slightly and pressing down for the crumbs to adhere.
• 3. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil with a pat of butter until sizzling. Working in batches, fry the kotleti over medium-high heat until golden-brown, about 4 minutes per side. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes to cook through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the patties. Serve at once.