Juicy pan-fried beef and pork patties bound with soaked bread, a home-cooking staple found in nearly every Russian kitchen.
Kotlety are Russia's everyday meat patties, distinct from a plain hamburger because the meat is bound with bread soaked in milk rather than breadcrumbs, which keeps the inside remarkably tender and moist. A mix of ground beef and pork gives more flavor than either alone, and a grated onion worked into the mixture by hand adds moisture without any visible chunks. The patties are shaped, then dredged lightly in flour before frying, which forms a thin golden crust that seals in the juices while the inside steams through gently over moderate heat. Cooking them too hot scorches the crust before the center is done, so a steady medium heat with a lid on for part of the cooking is the standard home technique. Served with mashed potatoes, buckwheat or a simple cucumber salad, kotlety are the kind of dish nearly every Russian grew up eating, made in bulk and frozen for quick weeknight meals.
Serves 5
Tear the bread into pieces and soak in milk for 5 minutes until soft, then mash with a fork.
Combine ground beef, pork, soaked bread, grated onion, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix by hand until just combined.
Overmixing makes the patties dense — combine only until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
With wet hands, shape the mixture into 8-10 oval patties about 3/4 inch thick.
Lightly coat each patty in flour, shaking off the excess.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry patties 4-5 minutes per side until deeply golden.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5-6 minutes more until cooked through to 160°F internally.
Serve hot with mashed potatoes, buckwheat or a simple salad.
Soak the bread in milk rather than using dry breadcrumbs — it's what keeps kotlety tender instead of dense.
Grate the onion instead of dicing it so it disappears into the mixture and adds moisture without chunks.
Cover the pan for the last few minutes of cooking so the inside steams through without burning the crust.
Use all beef or add ground chicken for a lighter version.
Add a pinch of nutmeg to the mixture for a subtle warmth, common in some regional versions.
Freeze uncooked patties on a tray, then bag them for quick weeknight meals — fry straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
Refrigerate cooked kotlety up to 3 days, or freeze uncooked patties up to 3 months. Reheat in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water to keep them moist.
Kotlety trace back to French cotelette (cutlet) dishes introduced to Russian aristocratic kitchens in the 18th and 19th centuries, later adapted into ground-meat patties that became a staple of everyday Soviet and post-Soviet home cooking.
Yes — bake at 375°F for about 20-25 minutes, flipping once, though they won't develop quite the same golden crust as pan-frying.
All beef works fine, though the pork adds extra moisture and richness; ground chicken or turkey can also be used for a lighter patty.
The mixture likely needs more binding — make sure the bread is fully soaked and mashed in, and let shaped patties rest 10 minutes in the fridge before frying.
Per serving (180g / 6.3 oz) · 5 servings total
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