Austrian Fleischlaberl (Pan-Fried Meat Patties)

About This Recipe

Fleischlaberl are Austria's version of the pan-fried meat patty found across much of Central Europe, made from a mix of ground beef and pork bound with a bread roll soaked in milk, seasoned generously with marjoram, garlic and black pepper. Unlike a burger patty, fleischlaberl are shaped flatter and slightly smaller, meant to be eaten with a knife and fork alongside potato salad or mashed potatoes rather than in a bun. The technique that separates good fleischlaberl from a mediocre patty is soaking a stale bread roll in milk rather than using dry breadcrumbs, which gives the meat mixture a noticeably more tender, moist texture once cooked. Frying in a mix of butter and oil at a moderate heat, rather than a screaming-hot pan, allows the patties to cook through evenly without burning the exterior before the center is done. Served with classic Austrian potato salad (Erdäpfelsalat) or simply with a fresh green salad, fleischlaberl are standard weeknight fare across Austrian households, the kind of unpretentious, comforting dish nearly every family has its own slightly different version of.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1stale bread roll(or 2 slices white bread)
• 0.5 cupmilk
• 350 gground beef
• 250 gground pork
• 1 smallonion(finely diced)
• 1egg
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1.5 tspdried marjoram
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspbutter
• 2 tbspoil

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bread

   Tear the bread roll into pieces and soak in milk for 5-10 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid.

2. 2

   Cook the onion

   Sauté diced onion in a bit of butter until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

3. 3

   Mix the patties

   Combine the soaked bread, cooked onion, ground beef, ground pork, egg, garlic, marjoram, salt and pepper. Mix gently until just combined.

4. 4

   Shape

   Shape into 8 flat, oval patties, slightly thinner than a typical burger patty.

5. 5

   Fry

   Heat butter and oil together in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry patties 5-6 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through.

   Fry at a moderate, not screaming-hot, heat so the patties cook through evenly without burning on the outside first.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve hot with potato salad or mashed potatoes and a green salad.

Variations

• •

  Add finely chopped parsley to the mixture for extra freshness.

• •

  Use all beef if pork isn't preferred, though the mix gives a more tender result.

• •

  Serve cold the next day on rye bread for a quick, satisfying sandwich.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat, or eat cold in a sandwich. Freezes well for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions