Emma Miller
Cutlets are the simplest meat dish imaginable. With minimal culinary skills, even the most common mince can be turned into a masterpiece. The main thing is to know how to do it.
Since childhood, we are accustomed to the fact that to prepare meatballs in the house necessarily must be a meat grinder. Our mothers and grandmothers used a simple hand meat grinder, while we have the opportunity to buy an electric one.
But what to do if you want cutlets, but the electric mincer does not work due to lack of light? As chefs assure, good mincemeat can be made without a meat grinder.
How to make home cutlets without a meat grinder – secrets
Cutlets cooked without a meat grinder, popularly called “chopped”. To cook cutlets without a meat grinder, the meat must be chopped with a knife as finely as possible. Ideally – send a piece of meat to the freezer for 30 minutes, then cut it into very small cubes.
Keep in mind that you won’t be able to slice unfrozen meat as finely as the piece that has been in the freezer. The finer the pieces of meat – the more tender the minced meat, and the tastier your cutlets will be.
If you do not know how to make meatballs without falling apart, do not skimp on the eggs. It is the eggs in the mincemeat function as cement. For one kilogram of minced meat, you need to use at least 2 eggs. Add more – the minced meat will be liquid, less – the cutlets will not hold their shape.
If you are making pork or veal cutlets, add some slices of loaf soaked in milk to the meat. Try to use old dry loaf, it’s much better for cutlets than fresh ones. The loaf stabilizes the minced meat, and the cutlets will hold their shape. If you are making liver cutlets, add a few spoonfuls of semolina. However, note that extra semolina will make the cutlets too tough.
Another problem for many housewives is over-dried cutlets. If you know how to make the cutlets fried inside, but still remain soft, fry them on low heat under a closed lid. When the cutlets are almost ready, be sure to add a little water to the pan, or a mixture of sour cream and tomato sauce. If you want juicy cutlets that spurt juice – fry them in the pan, but if you want soft and tender cutlets – fry them first and then stew them in the sauce.
Chopped chicken cutlets – recipe
If you do not know how to make minced chicken fillets without a meat grinder, just rinse the fillet well, wipe it with a paper towel, and slightly freeze it. After 20-30 minutes, slice the frozen meat first into thin strips and then into cubes. There is no need to baste the fillets before slicing, as the meat will turn into mush.
In order to cook perfect cutlets, you will need:
- chicken fillet – 1 kg;
- eggs – 2 pcs;
- mayonnaise – 2 tablespoons;
- onion – 100 gr;
- salt and pepper – to taste.
- Grated cheese – 300 gr.
Mince the filet until it becomes minced. Add eggs, mayonnaise, or thick sour cream, salt, and pepper. Mix everything well, add grated hard cheese, and mix again. The resulting batter is spread out on a hot frying pan with a spoon and fry cutlets are on minimum heat under a lid. Serve such cutlets with mashed potatoes or vegetable side dishes.
Liver patties – recipe
The secret of liver cutlets is that when crushing the liver you get a fairly liquid mass, which will be more like pancake batter than minced meat. This is normal for the liver, you just need to properly thicken the resulting mass.
For delicious liver cutlets, you need:
- chicken liver – 1 kg;
- onions – 200 gr;
- eggs – 2 pcs;
- semolina – 3-4 tbsp;
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
Grind the liver with a meat grinder or a blender. If you have neither – beat the liver with a hammer and chop it with a knife, pre-freezing it. To do this is simple – wash the liver and put it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes, then chop it very finely.
In the resulting mass add grated onion, eggs, salt, ground pepper, and a few tablespoons of semolina. You should thoroughly mix everything. The resulting mass should resemble pancake batter. Fry the liver cutlets on medium heat under a lid until tender.
Fish cutlets just like Granny’s
Fish cutlets in their technology do not differ from meat cutlets, the only nuance is that you need to work with fish more carefully, as it is much easier to spoil than the meat.
Prepare fish cutlets from the following ingredients:
- fish – 1 kg;
- eggs – 2 pcs;
- loaf – 200-300 gr;
- semolina – 100 gr;
- onions – 100 gr;
- milk – 100 ml;
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
Defrost the fish, clean it, separate it from the bones, and either chop it with a knife or grind it to mince with a meat grinder or blender. Add minced onion, eggs, milk-soaked loaf, salt, and pepper, and knead well. Fry fish cutlets in a pan under a closed lid over medium heat.
Delicious cutlets in the oven – culinary tricks
Cutlets in the oven – this is an ideal option for the hostess who simply does not have time to stand for a long time at the frying pan. The beauty of this option is that you can cook both meat and fish cutlets in the oven. The main secret is that initially you prepare the usual stuffing and lightly fry cutlets in a pan, literally 3-4 minutes on each side. Stuffing should not fry, it should only grip and hold its shape. Once the cutlets hold their shape, put them in a baking dish or on a tray. We take 200 ml of fatty sour cream, add 100 ml of water, and spices to your taste, pour this sour cream sauce patties, and send to the oven for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 180-190 degrees.
