This is comfort food for me. Growing up these Russian Beef Patties were a staple in every home. You could always count on them being served at parties, celebrations, and other gatherings. In Russia, “cutlets” refers to ground meat patties, not a thin slice of meat like here in America. And that’s why this was so confusing to me when I first moved here. Anyway, every woman in Russia has her own recipe for “cutlets”–some use beef and pork, some just beef or just pork, and others ground chicken or even fish. I make mine with beef. Not only are they so easy to make, they also make great leftovers because they’re as good cold as they are hot (at least in my opinion). And they can even be used to make a sandwich (like my husband’s family does with leftover meatloaf).
One thing to be mindful of is that you’ll need a food processor or meat grinder to make these. Even though you’ll be using ground meat, the texture is just much better when you grind it even further. When I was growing up, my mother used an old fashioned hand meat grinder, the one that you had to attach to the table, and she would push all of the ingredients through at least 3 times. It was a bit of a work, but so worth it. However, I’m so grateful to be able to do all of this with much less effort by simply using my food processor.
Russian Beef Patties (Котлеты)
This traditional Russian dish is easy to make and needs just a few ingredients.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 patties 1x
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Cuisine: Russian
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium Spanish onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 egg
- 1 heaping cup of breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Olive oil for frying
Instructions
- In you food processor, pulse onion and garlic until it’s finely chopped (almost juicy). Add the rest of ingredients except for olive oil, and pulse until everything is well mixed.
- Form into small patties.
- Preheat the skillet on medium heat, and cook patties until no longer pink in the center, about 7 minutes per side. I also put a lid on mine for the most of the time.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or plain pasta.
I am a follower of Christ, wife of a pastor, mother of a strong-willed little boy, and native of Russia. In addition to cooking and baking, I enjoy drinking coffee and relaxing on the beach.
I am Assyrian, but my grandmother was from Russia. Assyrians make this dish too, and we also call them “kitlehteh.” Like the name of your blog suggests, I love when foods cross cultures and boundaries. Really enjoyed your post!
Thank you Hilda!