Each family has its own recipe for cutlets. In most cases, it is passed down from generation to generation, but it is far from always possible to serve the perfect dish, due to mistakes made in the cooking process. Novate.ru tells what exactly can destroy the taste, shape and juiciness of cutlets, as well as how to avoid such oversights so as not to upset yourself and your family members.
Mistake 1: Stuffing is too runny
If the minced meat has been in the freezer for a long time, it may contain too much moisture after defrosting. Often this nuance is forgotten and the stage when the product must drain is skipped. As a result - liquid minced meat, which creeps in the hands and does not form into cutlets. To remedy the situation, you just need to send the finished minced meat to the refrigerator for two to three hours. During this time, the bread that is present in its composition will absorb excess liquid, making the base for future cutlets thicker and more elastic.
On a note: Another effective option is to add ready-made mashed potatoes to the minced meat. No time to mess around with cooking it? Then replace the puree with a couple of tablespoons of potato starch. It will thicken the mass well and quickly so that you can form cutlets out of it.
Mistake 2: Beating
This action can hardly be called a fatal mistake, it is simply unnecessary. Beating helps to remove excess air and moisture from the minced meat, due to which it becomes viscous and sticky. This item is required if you are preparing kebab, as it must be firmly attached to the skewer. But in the case of cutlets, you can freely skip it. Minced meat only needs to be kneaded well and refrigerated for several hours - this will be enough for it to acquire the required consistency. You can resort to beating only if you are in a hurry and do not have time to withstand the mass in the refrigerator.
Mistake 3: fry immediately
Minced meat can be compared to yeast dough - you cannot work with the product right away, as it takes time to acquire the required thickness and viscosity. After the minced meat stands in the cold, it will become more homogeneous, it will mold well and keep its shape. Therefore, scroll the meat through a meat grinder, add onions, spices, eggs, bread, previously soaked in milk, mix the ingredients well and let the minced meat cool and stand.
Mistake 4: using a non-stick frying pan
It is not for nothing that professional chefs say that the kitchen should have at least two pans - non-stick and cast iron. Contrary to popular belief, non-stick cookware is not suitable for all dishes. Yes, scrambled eggs, pancakes or pancakes are tasty and low-calorie on it, since there is an option not to use butter. But as for meat and cutlets, they are not compatible with non-stick surfaces, since the bottom of such pans does not gain the desired temperature and cannot maintain it throughout the entire cooking stage. But cast iron are ideal for frying cutlets. They allow them to roast evenly and acquire an appetizing golden crust that is slightly crunchy.
By the way, it is worth noting that no matter what frying pan you use, it must not be overloaded. Firstly, if you take a deep frying pan and completely fill the bottom with cutlets, moisture will not be able to leave the surface, as a result of which the minced meat will be stewed, not fried. And secondly, due to the fact that the cutlets come into contact with each other and share the liquid, the stewing process only intensifies.
Mistake 5: Toasting for a long time
Many housewives make this mistake. If you fry cutlets in a pan for too long or keep them in the oven, they simply lose their juiciness, become dry and tough. Even stewing in a sauce will not restore their great taste.
The medium cutlet should be fried in a hot skillet for two minutes on each side. The next step is to cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes, covering the pan with a lid. That is, in total we get 9 minutes, there is no need to keep the cutlets in the pan anymore. By the way, you can bring to readiness in the oven, but also not for long, so that they do not overcook.
Mistake 6: Not getting ready
It also happens that housewives rush from one extreme to another - they either overcook or do not cook. For beef and veal, the second option is not so scary, the cutlets can remain slightly raw, it is quite safe. However, when your minced chicken or pork is minced, not a drop of blood should remain in the finished cutlets, otherwise there is rice poisoning. Be sure to cut one cutlet and check what's inside. Should not be pink or red, only white.
Mistake 7: stew in sauce
Here the situation is about the same as with the beating. The sauce itself is not a mistake. But if you stew cutlets in it for a long time, then their taste will turn out to be completely different from what you expected. Too much sauce leads to the fact that the fibers inside the cutlets shrink, they lose their juiciness. To prevent this from happening, either skip the gravy, or stick to some rules. In particular, if at the end of frying you added sour cream to the cutlets in the pan, wait until it mixes with the juice that the cutlets emit, warmed up for 4-5 minutes, and then turn it off. In this case, the meat will acquire a rich aroma and tenderness, but will not spoil its taste.
Error 8: Warm up for a long time
Unfortunately, on the second day, the cutlets are no longer as tasty as on the first, but most of the taste can be preserved. To do this, heat the cutlets for the minimum amount of time, literally three to four minutes, and if in the microwave, then one will be enough. By the way, it is better to add the sauce just on the second day to revive the dish a little.
Reheating is another reason not to overcook the cutlets in the process of cooking them, because if on the first day you may not notice the consequences, then on the second day they will manifest themselves in full force. As a result, you end up with tough, dry patties that hardly anyone wants to eat for lunch.
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