How to make juicy cutlets. The main secrets and recipes for delicious homemade cutlets

Meatballs and meatballs, meatballs, cutlets, cabbage rolls, dumplings - all these dishes are based on minced meat. Homemade is always more attractive in taste and appearance than store-bought, but creating such a meat base is not as easy as we would like. Where is the secret of perfect minced meat for cutlets of any kind and what mistakes do inexperienced housewives make?

How to make minced meat for cutlets

Pieces of pork, beef, poultry or even fish twisted through a meat grinder - in the general understanding, this is minced meat. However, such a “bare” base is not suitable for further work, since it falls apart, dries out during heat treatment, and has almost no taste. As a result, you have to add some binding components, spices, etc., so the question of how to prepare minced meat for cutlets can take a very long time to figure out. First of all, it is advisable to decide how this dish will be prepared.

In the oven

This method of heat treatment is very popular along with cooking in a slow cooker. There are no special requirements for minced meat for cutlets in the oven, but it is desirable that it be juicy, since the moisture is actively evaporated. Breading is not necessary here, but it is recommended to make a wet filling for the cutlets - it will saturate them from the inside, preventing them from drying out. Mixed pork-beef, pork-chicken or fish mixture is ideal.

For a couple

This cooking method is mainly used for fish and poultry, when dietary recipes are selected and fats are not allowed. The minced meat for steam cutlets can even be completely dry - the humidity inside will be created and preserved by the chosen method of heat treatment. The only disadvantage of the finished dish is its outward appearance: the steamed cutlets are very pale, so experts advise putting them in the oven for a quarter of an hour so that a crust appears.

A couple of important nuances:

• There is no need to bread the formed cutlets - a steamer will turn this dry shell into an unsightly mess.
• Don't have a meat grinder? Use a blender or food processor. The consistency of the minced meat will vary depending on the duration of operation of the device.

In a frying pan

If we talk about the classic fried dish, then it uses mainly combined minced meat, part of which is necessarily juicy pork. Professionals do not recommend using ground chicken or turkey for frying cutlets, as it can become too dry when frying. Some chefs make a twisted pork-beef tandem with a small amount of lard - this makes the dish especially tender.

Minced meat recipe for cutlets

After reading the methods outlined below for creating minced meat, poultry or fish, you will forget about the problem of falling apart or burnt cutlets, and learn how to choose the right flavoring additives. Each step-by-step recipe for preparing minced meat is accompanied by a photo, and at the end the most valuable advice from professionals is collected, selected based on the frequency of questions that housewives have.

Classical

The traditional version of this delicious dish is pork and beef, complemented with white onion, black pepper, and salt. Most housewives prefer to make classic minced meat for cutlets with an egg, whose task is to give the mass elasticity and integrity. Be sure to bread it with ground breadcrumbs, and for tenderness, add a piece of butter at the very last stage.

Ingredients:

• beef – 400 g;
• pork – 180 g;
• egg higher cat.;
• bulb onions;
• salt pepper;
• butter – 20 g.

Cooking method:

1. Scroll the meat and onion slices twice at the same time.
2. Add salt and pepper. Taste the mixture, because more often it happens to be under-salted than over-salted.
3. Beat the egg and add it in. Knead with your hands (!) for a couple of minutes.
4. Pour in a spoonful of ice water and add butter. Knead for another minute.

From pike

This fish is characterized by dry fillet, so professionals always use butter, which will make the cutlets juicy. You can take lard or even fatty pork, but if you are planning to prepare a dish for a child, this option is not suitable. The remaining secrets of how to make ideal minced pike for cutlets are revealed as the algorithm is described.

Ingredients:

• pike – 550 g;
• butter – 30 g;
• milk – half a glass;
• bulb;
• salt;
• a sprig of cilantro;
• slice of white loaf.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the bread crumb and pour in milk - this will make the cutlets tender.
2. Clean the pike fillet and grind through a meat grinder with chopped onion.
3. Add the squeezed bread mass, salt, chopped cilantro.
4. Before frying/baking, the cutlets will definitely need to be breaded, otherwise all the juice will go away.

Consider another option for a fish dish -. Delicious cooking recipes with photos and videos await you.

From beef and pork

If you like the big, hearty burgers sold at food chains, but are wary of their unknown ingredients, learn how to make this dish yourself. First of all, you need to figure out how to prepare minced meat for pork and beef cutlets. This mass, according to professionals, is ideal for burgers. The dietary version discards pork.

Ingredients:

• beef – 250 g;
• pork – 250 g;
• egg 1 cat.;
• white loaf – 100 g;
• salt, oregano, basil - a pinch;
• caraway seeds – 1/2 tsp.

Cooking method:

1. Grind the beef and pork through a meat grinder.
2. Freeze the loaf and grate it coarsely.
3. Beat the egg and add to the meat mixture. Add spices and salt there.
4. Add the loaf crumbs last - the mass should be thick.
5. You can fry burger patties made from minced pork and beef without oil, remembering to give them the correct flattened shape.

Chicken

A very quick, tasty, tender dish is obtained if you prepare the base according to this recipe. Chicken fillet is low-fat, so it is complemented with processed cheese or regular cheese with sour cream, and fresh herbs will give it a pleasant aroma and taste. Minced chicken for cutlets also wins over others due to the speed of frying, especially if you make small flattened balls.

Ingredients:

• chicken fillet – 500 g;
• one processed cheese;
• eggs 2 cat. - 2 pcs.;
• a bunch of dill;
• green onion feathers;
• salt.

Cooking method:

1. Chop the chicken fillet with a knife and grind in a blender. Add salt.
2. Mash the cheese, add torn dill and green onions.
3. Add beaten eggs, knead chicken mixture. If it is very liquid, add a little flour.
4. These cutlets are best baked or steamed to keep them low in calories. If you fry, make breading.

From fish

For such a dish, experts do not place restrictions on the type of main product - you can use both juicy fatty trout and skinny pollock, as well as pike perch and cod. The only important thing is the absence of a large number of bones, otherwise cleaning will turn into torture. There are no special secrets in how to make minced fish for cutlets - even all the components that complement the fillet can be identical to those for meat.

Ingredients:

• fish fillet – 600 g;
• a bunch of parsley;
• semolina - 3 tbsp. l.;
• salt;
• ground white pepper;
• breadcrumbs.

Cooking method:

1. Cool the fish fillets before using. Clean, rinse.
2. Cut into cubes and grind with a blender.
3. Add torn parsley, salt and ground white pepper.
4. Add semolina to make the mixture less liquid.
5. Form cutlets and cover with breadcrumbs.

From pork

This type of meat is rarely used alone due to its fat content. Even if housewives do not add beef/poultry, they try to make a filling that will make the dish easier to digest. Apples, prunes and greens are ideal. These minced pork cutlets are juicy, fluffy, beautiful, and are in no way inferior to dishes from restaurant photos. Try this recipe to see for yourself.

Ingredients:

• pork – 700 g;
• bulb;
• salt, ground pepper;
• prunes - a handful;
• green apple;
• semolina – 3 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Toss cooled pork with onion pieces.
2. Salt, pepper, add semolina. Beat this mass and knead for several minutes.
3. Grate the apple, steam the prunes, make cutlets, adding the filling to the center.

Beef

For such a dish, choose the front zone of the carcass - it is the most tender, but not too greasy. If you use a spatula, it is better to cook mixed minced meat or add butter/lard. However, the fluffiness is also affected by beating - without it, the cutlets will be flat and very heavy inside. How to make ground beef so that your homemade dish can compete with restaurant photos? The technology is disclosed below.

Ingredients:

• beef – 500 g;
• lard – 100 g;
• bulb;
• tomato paste – 2 tsp;
• salt pepper.

Cooking method:

1. Twist the meat with lard, add ground pepper.
2. Salt the minced beef and combine with tomato paste.
3. Beat for 3-4 minutes, immediately form cutlets.

With bread

A culinary trick such as using a loaf or a simple white bun helps make even fried cutlets very tender. This technique is especially actively used for fish or chicken mass, which is devoid of fat. Homemade minced meat cutlets with bread are always juicy, fluffy, and soft. Take stale slices - they will work better due to the gluten. This kind of minced meat cannot be prepared in advance!

Ingredients:

• meat – 600 g;
• garlic clove;
• stale bread – 120 g;
• milk – 150 ml;
• salt.

Cooking method:

1. Pour milk over the bread, wait 10-12 minutes.
2. Grind the beef through a meat grinder. Send it there again, but with squeezed bread and garlic.
3. Salt the resulting mass, add chopped onion. Beat and start making cutlets.

With potatoes

Housewives and even culinary professionals like this simple method - grated potatoes added to chopped meat perform the same role as an egg. This recipe is suitable for people allergic to albumin and is often used in children's menus. Tender, juicy minced meat for cutlets with potatoes can be prepared from any base - it always turns out perfect.

Ingredients:

• meat (any) – 600 g;
• large potatoes;
• onions – 1/2 pcs.;
• salt.

Cooking method:

1. Grind the meat pieces through a meat grinder and add half the chopped onion.
2. Add salt. Beat for 2-3 minutes - this way the cutlets will be fluffy.
3. Add finely grated potatoes, stir for another 1-1.5 minutes.

Turkey

Chefs call this type of meat an excellent compromise between the fat content of pork and the dryness of chicken. Turkey is juicy, tender, but has low calorie content, so it is actively used in the diet menu. If you wanted to know how to make ground turkey, but were constantly faced with a hundred insoluble questions, this recipe will help you figure it out completely.

Ingredients:

• turkey fillet (not breast) – 600 g;
• zucchini pulp – 100 g;
• sour cream – 2 tbsp. l.;
• dried herbs - a pinch;
• salt;
• bell pepper

Cooking method:

1. Pour milk over the bread.
2. Chop the turkey with a knife and grind through a meat grinder with pepper. Season with herbs and salt.
3. Mix with sour cream and egg. Add grated zucchini.
4. Knead for a couple of minutes and form into cutlets.

What can you add to minced meat for cutlets?

Any classic recipe can be modified to change the taste and appearance/consistency of the dish. Professionals tell us what to add to the minced meat for cutlets to get the perfect result:

• Do you want dietary but juicy fluffy cutlets? Mix grated beets or carrots with the meat mixture.
• Minced cod can be supplemented with sour cream or low-fat cream.
• An unusual way to prepare minced meat for cutlets without bread is to use a little grated zucchini pulp.
• Too liquid and no flour? Take bran or oatmeal.

Video

Today I suggest you prepare juicy and tasty cutlets. Which? Choose according to your taste! I can offer you a step-by-step recipe for cutlets made from minced turkey, pork, chicken and pollock, with the addition of cabbage and potatoes, and even cutlets without bread. You can make it in a frying pan, or you can cook it in the oven. I decided to collect the most popular recipes in one place in order to spread out and organize the information a little, it’s convenient when everything is at hand.

Simple secrets of tasty and juicy cutlets.

But first, let's determine what principles of preparing cutlets allow them to turn out juicy and tasty, regardless of the type of minced meat and accompanying spices. Perhaps these rules will seem banal and “as old as time” to experienced housewives, but not everyone is born “in a chef’s hat and apron” - young people and beginners sometimes need to say simple things.

And it’s not a fact that they seem so obvious to them!

• • Of course, you can make cutlets without bread... But the question is: will this dish be called cutlets? After all, bread, which we first soak in water or milk and then add to the minced meat for cutlets, is an essential ingredient in almost any recipe for delicious homemade cutlets. And the point here is not about saving on minced meat, as some people think! Bread allows you to make minced meat softer, juicier, and tastier. But we are not talking about ready-made minced meat bought in a store (you’ll never guess what’s already been added there!), but rather about pure minced meat that you have just turned with your own hands from a natural piece of meat;
  • Water (milk, cream, mineral water) must be present in the minced meat for cutlets. It is moisture that makes the cutlets juicy and soft. The more fatty component in this liquid, the tastier and more tender (but the more high-calorie our cutlets will be!). The water must be cooled to an icy state. The rule, again, is only suitable for freshly prepared natural minced meat, without additives from cunning manufacturers of “semi-finished products”.
  • Not everyone knows that in addition to adding cold milk, ice water or even mineral water to the minced meat, such minced meat must be beaten. This is done very simply - as with dough, scoop up handfuls of minced meat and throw it back into the bowl, do this 15-20 times. The liquid is absorbed into the minced meat and the cutlets turn out very juicy. It would be good to give the minced meat some time to stand - about half an hour, or maybe more;
  • It is for juiciness that cabbage, potatoes, and onions are added to the minced meatballs. Moreover, you need to chop them very finely (do not turn them through a meat grinder or in a blender, it is important to chop them very finely”). Although there are, of course, recipes that suggest running these additives through a meat grinder or passing them through a blender, it seems to me that here we are talking more about saving cooking time than about improving the taste of the dish;

And of course, the quality of the meat from which the minced meat for the cutlets is made is very important for the quality of the final product. It is impossible to make tasty cutlets from old, dry, frozen or, God forbid, rancid meat with any additives or “magic” ingredients... Although the cooks of some school canteens would argue with me now...

For these wonderful, juicy and tasty cutlets, we will need ground turkey (turkey meat), as well as the following simple ingredients.

• turkey fillet (or any minced meat) - 1 kg
• loaf (bread) - 150g
• milk - 150g
• egg - 1 pc.
• onions - 2 pcs
• salt, pepper - to taste
• sunflower oil for frying
• garlic - optional

All! Delicious and juicy homemade turkey cutlets are ready! Bon appetit!

Very tender minced chicken cutlets - let's reveal the secret of amazing juiciness.

In principle, you can easily take the previous recipe, replace the ground turkey with chicken and cook delicious chicken cutlets. But we will go a different way! Let's add delicious products to our list of ingredients and improve the taste even more radically!

Look at what products we need, prepare, and let's go cook and learn the new secrets of juicy minced meat for cutlets.

Compound:

• Minced chicken – 500 g
• White bread - 3 slices
• Onion - 1 piece
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Egg - 1 pc.
• Cream 35% - 4 tbsp.
• Milk – 100 ml
• Butter - 70 g
• Salt, black pepper to taste
• For breading - dry bread crumbs, breadcrumbs or flour

The most delicious and tender chicken cutlets are ready. Serve them with any salad, herbs, vegetables or any other type of side dish - it won’t make them any less tasty :-))

Minced pork cutlets with cabbage - “Lazy cabbage rolls”.

Pork tastes great with cabbage, so for the so-called “lazy cabbage rolls”, but essentially minced meat cutlets with cabbage, we’ll choose it. Pork, as a rule, is quite fatty in composition, so let’s “dilute” it with lean cabbage and in total you’ll get the same thing :) In terms of proportions, take minced pork and cabbage in equal parts.

I suggest you make this recipe not only “lazy”, but also quick - we will grind all our additives with a blender until it becomes mushy.

To coat the cutlets, we will use cornmeal - then we will get a beautiful yellow tint to our cutlets, look how they look in the photo. If you don’t have such flour, but you have corn grits, grind it in a coffee grinder or blender and get the desired product.

Let's take the following products:

• minced pork - 300g
• cabbage - 300g
• onion - 1 head
• egg - 1 piece
• seasonings and salt - to taste
• corn flour - for breading vegetable oil - for frying

Cooking process:

Minced meat cutlets with potatoes - video recipe.

Do you think that housewives add bread, cabbage, and potatoes to minced cutlets to save money? So you haven’t tried real minced meat cutlets with potatoes - they’re oh-so delicious!

Compound:

• minced meat - 1 kg.
• raw potatoes - 4 pcs. (average)
• onion - 1-2 pcs.
• egg - 1 piece
• seasonings and salt - to taste
• cold water - 2-3 tbsp.

But the essence of the preparation does not change! This recipe differs from the previous recipe only in that raw cabbage must be replaced with raw, finely grated potatoes. I won’t even describe the rest - do everything exactly the same, I’ll just indicate the possible proportions of the products.

But, if suddenly something still doesn’t work out, watch this short video, which shows step by step the process of preparing these particular cutlets - with potatoes and minced meat.

Mixed minced meat cutlets in the oven - a step-by-step recipe with detailed photos.

I can’t pass up such a recipe as minced meat cutlets baked in the oven. For those who don’t really like fatty foods (and we must admit that cutlets fried in a frying pan are a rather high-calorie dish with a lot of fat and “harmful” cholesterol) - cutlets in the oven will be an excellent replacement. They are still very tasty and juicy, look very appetizing, and also save the housewife not only oil, but also time. After all, you don’t need to stand at the stove - just load everything into the oven, set the temperature and note the time.

Compound:

• minced meat – 1 kg. (chicken – 700 g and pork + beef – 300 g),
• white bread (crumb) – 1 piece,
• onion – 150 g.,
• potatoes – 150 g.,
• garlic – 1 tooth,
• egg – 1 pc.,
• salt, pepper - to taste,
• kefir (sour cream, cream) – 1 tbsp.,
• vegetable oil – 1 tbsp.
• water – 0.5+0.5 cups.

The process of cooking cutlets in the oven:

5 Cover the oven tray with parchment and grease it with a little sunflower oil. We form cutlets and place them on a sheet. You can additionally beat off the minced meat by tossing the cutlet from one palm to the other. You can roll the cutlets in breading or flour.
6 Place in a hot oven (190-200 degrees) for 20 minutes. For juiciness, add half a glass of hot water directly to the sheet and put it in the oven again until golden brown. Do not turn the cutlets over during baking.

We got such beautiful and moderately dietary cutlets. This is a very simple and quick way to prepare delicious and juicy cutlets - be sure to try this cooking option.

Pollock fish cutlets without bread - Not only tasty, but also healthy!

Continuing the theme of healthier eating, I want to offer you a wonderful recipe for fish cutlets - minced pollock cutlets. Pollock is an excellent choice for fish cutlets: it is not an expensive type of fish, has few bones, no need to peel scales, and as for the beneficial properties (content of vitamins A, B1, B2, B9, minerals and trace elements) - it is in no way inferior expensive varieties of fish.

The only complaint about pollock is that the minced meat can turn out a little dry.For those who do not have enough fat content, you can roll an additional piece of lard into the minced meat or add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the minced meat. For fish cutlets, it is generally typical to take low-fat varieties of white fish, but at the same time increase the fat content with separate additives.

By the way, another original and “tasty” way to add fat content to dry fish (and not only fish) mince. Directly in the frying pan, put a piece of frozen butter into the already prepared cutlets, press it in so that it is inside the minced meat. During cooking, the butter will melt and give the dish a great creamy taste!

But, if we talk about the benefits of such a product as fish cutlets (and this is a dietary dish by all standards!), then you don’t need to add anything, no additional fats are required. This recipe also calls for a small amount of oil in the pan and the absence of bread and flour in the cutlets.

If you don’t have special cookware with a non-stick coating on which you can fry almost without oil, you can cook these cutlets in the oven, or steam them, whichever you prefer.

I still like the cutlets to look more browned; a small, slightly toasted crust won’t hurt, the main thing is to cook over very moderate heat and with a small amount of oil.

Compound:

• minced pollock - 1.3 kg.
• onions – 3 pcs.medium size
• potatoes – 3 pcs.
• garlic – 3 cloves
• egg – 3 pcs.
• salt, pepper, spices - to taste

Step-by-step recipe for making pollock cutlets:

5 Fry in a small amount of oil, without a lid, over low heat until golden brown, turning during cooking. Fish cutlets cook very quickly. But you can further steam them after frying under the lid, adding a little water.

Let me remind you that in this recipe, for the sake of health benefits and increasing the “dietary value” of our dish, we excluded bread completely. But according to tradition, in the classic recipe for fish cutlets, bread must be added, and in fish cutlets, the bread is usually soaked in milk, and not in water. Still, fish cutlets require more gentle handling :)

What type of cutlets do you cook? What type of minced meat and additives do you prefer? Share your successful finds and favorite recipes for minced meat cutlets in the comments!

2 years ago

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Let's reveal all the secrets of making delicious cutlets! The ability to fry delicious cutlets is one of the essential skills of a modern housewife. No semi-finished products can replace homemade cutlets made from juicy minced meat with a crispy crust, soaked in the aroma of spices. Cookbooks contain thousands of minced meat dishes - in addition to classic cutlets, you can prepare the following minced meat dishes for dinner with your family:, or, meat rolls, and stuffed vegetables, for example, or, as your imagination dictates. What can be made from minced meat quickly is the simplest dish -. How to cook delicious juicy cutlets? The process of preparing homemade cutlets begins with choosing meat and preparing minced meat.

Correct minced meat for cutlets

One of the main secrets of delicious minced meat and dishes made from it is the high quality of the original meat. Modern kitchen appliances will grind even a hard third-rate product with an excess of veins, films and connective tissue into a homogeneous mass, but one cannot count on high taste qualities of cutlets from this minced meat.

According to experienced chefs, for minced cutlets it is better to take equal parts beef and pork with a small amount of fat. For those who like fatter cutlets, you can add twisted pork lard to the meat ingredients. And for dietary nutrition, dishes made from ground or finely chopped white poultry meat - or.

For cooking classic minced cutlet per kilogram of meat add two medium-sized onions, 3-4 cloves of garlic and about 2-3 pieces of white bread soaked in milk or water. Pieces of meat, bread and onions are passed through a meat grinder once or twice. Add 1-2 teaspoons of salt and freshly ground black pepper to the resulting mass, beat in the egg and mix until smooth. For easier grinding, it is advisable to place the meat pieces in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Experienced chefs advise to thoroughly beat the minced meat before frying and keep it in the refrigerator for half an hour, then the cutlets will retain their shape well and will not fall apart.

If possible, prepare the minced meat in excess - separate some of it into cutlets, and pack the rest into bags and put it in the freezer. Frozen minced meat does not lose its taste - just take out the package in the morning before leaving for work or put it in the microwave to defrost and delight your loved ones with another culinary masterpiece.

You can vary the taste of the finished cutlets by adding various components to the minced meat. Try making mixed minced veal, pork with a layer of fat and chicken fillet. White bread in minced cutlets can be replaced with semolina, oatmeal, soaked breadcrumbs or finely grated potatoes. Vegetables - finely grated carrots or finely chopped bell peppers - will give the cutlets a unique taste.

If you use purchased minced meat to prepare the cutlets and the mass turns out to be too liquid, add 1-2 tablespoons of semolina or crackers, mix well and keep in the refrigerator before starting to fry.

How to properly fry cutlets in a frying pan

To fry the cutlets, heat a frying pan, pour in vegetable oil or melt cooking fat. Before frying, the formed cutlets can be breaded in flour or ground breadcrumbs and the cutlets can be given an oval shape.

The cutlets are carefully placed in a frying pan with heated fat and fried for 1-2 minutes over high heat on both sides so that a crust forms on the surface, which will retain all the juices inside and our cutlets will turn out tasty and juicy. Then reduce the heat and continue cooking the dish for 25-30 minutes over medium heat, adding water or meat broth, covering with a lid. After frying the cutlets, you can bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

To check the readiness of the cutlet, you need to pierce it with a knife - if clear juice comes out of it, the dish is ready for serving. Most often, cutlets are served as a main dish with various side dishes - boiled pasta, crumbly or mashed potatoes, stewed, boiled or fresh vegetables...

Ready cutlets are stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 3-4 days, for long-term storage they are placed in the freezer, and before use they are heated in a frying pan or in the oven.

BON APPETIT!

Dessert for today 🙂 - carving - beet rose

2016, . All rights reserved.

The word “cutlet” came into Russian from French; la côtelette is a piece of meat on a rib. So in ancient times it was much more convenient to eat it with your hands. With the advent of cutlery, the need for bones disappeared. Pieces of meat were removed from them. And the cutlet began to change. They began beating the meat to make it softer and breading it to maintain its juiciness. This process took place throughout Europe. Today, only the Kiev cutlet, which is often made with a bone, reminds us of the old days.

Meat selection

For cutlets, you can use a piece of brisket or shoulder; chopped goulash is also suitable. But keep in mind that market traders may sell you bad meat. Therefore, when purchasing, you should ask to see the piece from all sides.

Cutlets are best made from chilled meat, not frozen.

The most delicious cutlets are made with the addition of fatty meat - pork or even lard.

Meat for cutlets should not be lean, take it with fat - then the cutlets will be juicy.

It’s good to make cutlets from two or even three types of meat. You can combine beef and pork, you can add poultry to them.

Ground meat

Be sure to put onions in the minced meat. It is rolled together with the meat or chopped very finely. Onions cut into slices should be placed in a meat grinder between pieces of meat.

It is advisable to prepare cutlets only from freshly prepared minced meat. If you do make minced meat in advance, do not put bread in it, do not add salt or spices.

The minced meat must be kneaded by hand. You can even beat it with your palms - this way it will turn out tender and soft.

You need to knead the minced meat for a long time, you can beat it with your palms, throw it from one hand to another, or hit it on the table. All so that the meat mass is saturated with oxygen and becomes more viscous and homogeneous.

A couple of tablespoons of ice water added during kneading will add juiciness to the minced meat. You can also add a spoonful of vegetable oil.

A cube of cold butter added at the end of kneading will make the cutlets juicy and more airy.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Bread

To prevent the cutlets from falling apart, add bread to them.

You need to soak dried bread; fresh bread does not release the amount of gluten needed to “glue” the minced meat together.

Reduce calories

Instead of bread, you can add finely grated zucchini to the minced meat. It will give the cutlets juiciness, but its taste will be almost noticeable.

You can also add grated carrots, pumpkin, beets to the cutlets - all these vegetables will add juiciness to them.

Instead of bread, you can mix stiffly beaten egg white into the minced meat. It will connect the minced meat and prevent the cutlets from falling apart. But perhaps it will make them a little tougher.

Modeling

It is best to cool the minced meat for half an hour before modeling.

To make it easier to divide the minced meat into portions, you need to wet your hands with water.

Try to make cutlets of the same size.

When making a cutlet, pat it with your palms and try to make it uniform, without seams. This way she won't release her juice.

Breading

In regular flour

In breadcrumbs (both white and rye)

In crushed nuts

In ground sesame

Frying

Place the cutlets on a hot, but not overheated frying pan. It is desirable that it has a thick bottom.

The cutlet is fried over high heat for 1-2 minutes on one side, then the heat needs to be reduced and simmered on the same side for another 3-4 minutes. And then turn it over and repeat the process.

When frying, cutlets need to be turned over minimally. Then their crust will not collapse and their juiciness will not disappear.

You can bring the cutlets to readiness in the oven or under a tight lid over low heat. This will take 7-10 minutes.

The sauce is poured after the cutlets are fried and covered with a lid. You can simply take sour cream, or you can prepare something more complex.

Do not add water to the sour cream to make more sauce, this will spoil the cutlets and kill their own juice.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

How to determine readiness

The cutlet needs to be pierced; if the juice comes out clear, it is ready.

If you fried the cutlet for about 20 minutes, of which 5-7 minutes under the lid, then this is enough for it to be ready.

If you want to get confused

Cutlets are best made from minced meat. Only then you will need to knead the minced meat better so that it does not fall apart.

Basic cutlet recipe

400 g pork goulash

2 medium onions

1/4 white loaf

1 glass of water

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 tbsp. l. flour

1 cup sour cream

Step 1. Cut the loaf into large pieces and add water.

Step 2. Rinse the meat, peel the onion and cut into 4 parts. Grind the meat and onions through a fine grinder.

Step 3. Turn it a second time. Salt and pepper. Mix well and knead the minced meat a little, like dough.

Step 4. Divide the minced meat into 3-4 parts and beat each with your palms for at least a minute.

Step 5. Remove the crust from the loaf, squeeze out the bread and add to the minced meat.

Tip: If the minced meat seems a little dry, you can add a little milk, or water and vegetable oil.

Step 6. Form cutlets. Roll them in flour.

Tip: During the sculpting process, you can beat the cutlets a little more with your palms, patting them.

Step 7. Heat a frying pan with oil. Place the cutlets and fry over high heat for half a minute (until a crust forms).

Step 8. Reduce heat and fry over low heat for another 2-3 minutes.

Step 9. Turn the cutlets over and fry first over high heat and then over low heat as described in steps 7 and 8.

Step 10. Leave the pan on low heat, close the lid and leave the cutlets to fry for about 7-15 minutes (depending on the size of the cutlets).

Tip: At this stage, you can pour sour cream over the cutlets to create a sauce. Just do not add water under any circumstances, otherwise the cutlets will turn into a rag.

Step 11. Remove from heat, pour in sour cream, sprinkle with herbs, serve hot.

Cutlets are one of those additions to any side dish that housewives most often serve to their family. Industrial cutlets rarely satisfy all consumer needs: they are dry, fall apart when fried, do not always taste good, and most importantly, it is not known for certain what meat they are made from. Homemade cutlets win in all respects, except for one thing - you have to tinker with them a lot of time. Some housewives note that the cutlets end up dry. There are several secrets to making them juicy and fluffy.

• grind beef and pork in equal proportions in a meat grinder;
  
• add salt and pepper to your taste;
  
• scroll through the onions and garlic;
  
• scroll the zucchini through a meat grinder (young fruit with peel, old fruit without);
  
• mix the minced meat thoroughly.
  

It was noted that minced meat, to which zucchini is added, turns out juicy and fluffy, the taste of the meat does not change. The cutlets come out really soft and juicy, and the zucchini flavor is not noticeable at all.

Minced meat and oat flakes
Some housewives add white bread soaked in milk to the minced meat. This is not entirely correct. Bread changes the taste of the meat, which ultimately makes the cutlets juicy, but without the characteristic meaty taste. You can replace the loaf with oatmeal, which has also been previously soaked in milk or water. The minced meat recipe is simple:

• grind two types of meat in equal parts in a meat grinder;
  
• scroll the onions;
  
• add oatmeal (swollen) to the mixture;
  
• mix everything;
  
• add salt and spices at your discretion;
  
• Stir the minced meat again.
  

This recipe is suitable not only for meat cutlets, but also fish ones. But you additionally need to add to the minced fish:

• egg;
  
• carrots twisted in a meat grinder;
  
• a small amount of vegetable oil.
  

Minced meat and potatoes
Another simple minced meat recipe for juicy meat cutlets:

• twist any meat at your discretion in the usual way;
  
• grate raw potatoes on a fine grater (two medium tubers per kilogram of meat);
  
• add salt;
  
• scroll the onion;
  
• mix the minced meat.
  

Regardless of the minced meat recipe you choose, it is very important to thoroughly grind all ingredients. In addition, it is important to choose the right meat for the cutlets - there is no need to mix chicken with anything, but beef and pork separately produce cutlets that are too hard. It is better to mix these two types of meat in equal proportions. If the meat is not fatty, then you can additionally roll a piece of lard into the minced meat to make the cutlets softer. Frying or steaming is a matter of taste. It is noted that steamed cutlets turn out somewhat harder and drier than those fried in a frying pan.