I learned how to make Polish meat patties or Kotlety mielone from my Mom and I have to admit that she is undoubtedly a master of making delicious cutlets. It must be her magic touch. By the way, “Kotlety” in Polish means “cutlets” or “patties” and “mielone” stands for “ground” so the name of this dish can be roughly translated as “ground meat cutlets”.
Classic Polish meat patties are certainly a must-have item in most Polish homes. These cutlets are thick and juicy and very comforting. The recipes are usually similar, and they differ in additives. Some people prefer beets, others carrots with peas or cucumber salad and mashed potatoes. I don’t have a problem with it, because I love all configurations.
Today I will share with you, my Mama’s traditional recipe for kotlety mielone:
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs (1kg) ground pork shoulder
- 2 small or 1 large onion, grated
- 1 bun, soaked in water
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs for coating (do not use panko breadcrumbs)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions:
First, grind the pork in a meat grinder. If you don’t have a meat grinder, I recommend buying meat from the butcher who can grind your pork on the spot in the store or just buy a ground pork.
When I grind my meat I also grind the onions with it, but if you don’t have a grinder you can grind the onion on the small holes of a box grater.
You can also sauté onion on the frying pan and add to the mix. First, chop the onion very finely. Heat a small frying pan with a little fat (I recommend lard) and fry the onion for about 5 minutes, until translucent, then let it cool off.
Soak a kaiser bun for a few minutes in water. This is what makes the cutlets moist. The bun should be well soaked and cannot be dry inside. Then carefully but thoroughly squeeze it out of excess liquid and discard the water. Squeeze it in your hands a few times, removing as much liquid as possible.
If you don’t have any bread, you can substitute breadcrumbs, but the cutlets are moister when the bread is soaked in water.
In the medium bowl, add ground meat, squeezed bun, an egg and onion. Season the mixture with salt and pepper (1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper).
Start kneading the meat mass for the cutlets. Mix it with your hands because this is the most convenient way to see and feel whether the mass is thoroughly mixed. Stir the meat mass for at least five minutes until it is perfectly uniform. The longer you do it, the better the cutlets. The meat mass may seem little loose, but thanks to this, the cutlets will be more tender, less compact and firm.
Form oval cutlets from the meat and gently flatten them to about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick patties. The meat mixture will be loose but it should hold its shape. If it’s too loose – add some breadcrumbs to the mixture.
Place breadcrumbs on a plate. Gently roll each cutlet on both sides in breadcrumbs and they are ready for frying. The breadcrumbs make the outside of these cutlets crunchy. As you can see in the photo below, the cutlets are perfectly smooth. This is the effect of long kneading of the mass and its appropriate consistency.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Do not overcrowd them. Fry the patties for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through. To check, cut one and see if they require additional time.
The cutlets should be crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside.
The best way of serve kotlety mielone is with mashed potatoes and some kind of veggie salad of your choice.
Side dishes suggestions
- My favourite way to serve this dish is with crunchy and refreshing cucumber salad (or mizeria salad) as seen on the photo below (see my Mom’s traditional recipe)
- Beet salad is also very popular (see Mom’s recipe for delicious Polish beet salad)
- Creamy mushroom sauce (see my Mom’s recipe)
- Sauerkraut
- Carrots with peas
SMACZNEGO!
