Eastern European Kotlety

While growing up, my Polish-Russian grandmother, who lived with our family, made these little meat patties quite often and they were a family favorite. Here is my rendition, from what I remember when cooking with Grandma, as she never wrote the recipe down. The patties were always served with mashed potatoes, green beans, applesauce, and, of course, plenty of ketchup for the patties.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 338 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced (Optional)
• 1 ⅓ pounds lean ground beef
• ⅔ cup milk cracker crumbs
• 1 small sweet yellow onion, minced
• 1 egg, well beaten
• ½ cup vegetable shortening for frying

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Mix ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until evenly blended. Shape meat mixture into twelve 3-inch patties about 1 1/4-inch thick.

Step 2

Heat vegetable shortening in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear patties until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, uncovered, until patties are no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes more. Remove patties from skillet and drain on paper towels until ready to serve.