Russian Beef and Pork Kotleti Burger

About This Recipe

Kotleti are Russia's everyday meat patties, made from ground beef, pork or a mix of both, bound not with breadcrumbs alone but with bread soaked in milk, a technique that keeps the finished patties noticeably juicier and more tender than a plain burger patty. This softened bread, called a panade, is worked into the meat along with grated onion, giving kotleti their characteristic soft, almost pillowy texture compared to a denser American-style burger. Unlike a burger seared hard and fast, kotleti are traditionally pan-fried over moderate heat and often finished with a lid on the pan for the last few minutes, which helps them cook through gently without drying out, given their more delicate, bread-enriched texture. This burger keeps that same technique, just serving the finished kotleti in a bun with grainy mustard and dill pickles, a pairing that echoes how kotleti are often served alongside mashed potatoes and pickles at a traditional Russian dinner table. The result is a noticeably tender, juicy patty with a mild, comforting flavor, closer to a well-made meatball than a heavily seasoned burger, letting the mustard and pickles provide most of the sharpness and acidity on the plate.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 sliceswhite bread(crusts removed)
• 0.5 cupmilk
• 400 gground beef
• 200 gground pork
• 1onion(grated)
• 1egg
• 1.25 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.5 cupbreadcrumbs(for coating)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 4burger buns
• 3 tbspgrainy mustard
• 0.5 cupdill pickles(sliced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bread

   Tear the bread into pieces and soak in milk for 5 minutes until fully softened, then mash with a fork into a paste.

2. 2

   Mix the kotleti

   Combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked bread, grated onion, egg, salt and pepper. Mix gently by hand until just combined -- avoid overworking.

   The soaked bread panade is what keeps kotleti juicy and tender -- don't skip it or substitute dry breadcrumbs directly into the meat.

3. 3

   Shape and coat

   Divide into 4 patties. Press each patty lightly into breadcrumbs on both sides to coat.

4. 4

   Cook the patties

   Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 4 minutes per side until golden, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 3 to 4 more minutes until cooked through to 160°F (71°C).

5. 5

   Assemble

   Spread mustard on the buns, add the kotleti patty and sliced pickles, and serve warm.

Variations

• •

  All-beef version: use all ground beef instead of the beef-pork mix for a slightly leaner, more straightforward patty.

• •

  Cheese-topped: melt a slice of cheese over the patty in the last minute of covered cooking.

• •

  Chicken kotleti: substitute ground chicken thigh for a lighter version, keeping the same milk-soaked bread technique.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked patties up to 3 days; reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat. Raw shaped patties freeze well, wrapped individually, for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions