North Croatian Beef Cutlet Food

KOTLET - PERSIAN CUTLET

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add some salt, and cook until a fork easily goes through them.
• Grate onion in a large bowl.
• Once your potatoes are done, peel them, and then grate them in the same bowl with the onion. Mix to combine. (This is traditionally done by hand!).
• Add turmeric, advieh, salt, and pepper in the bowl. Mix to incorporate spices into potato-onion mixture.
• Crack eggs into the mixture and combine. (If you're still going the traditional route, you continue with your hands.).
• Finally, add the ground beef to the mixture and mix. (Again, keep mixing at it with the hands!).
• If you find that the mixture is too wet, add breadcrumbs until it becomes more friendly.
• Take a small amount out of the mixture (about 2 tablespoons) and make a large meatball with it. Then pat it flat into a patty that is not too thick or too thin. Traditionally they are shaped into teardrops; however, mine just come out as sloppy ovals.
• Continue with the rest of the mixture, and as you finish each patty, place it on parchment paper.
• Wash your hands, and heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry a few kotlets at a time, making sure not to overcrowd.
• Once you see that the bottom has turned a golden brown where the edges are a rich brown and crispy, flip them over. Add more oil as necessary.
• Place a dish with a paper towel in it next to your work station. When removing the kotlets from the pan, try to drain as much of the oil as possible, then place onto the plate.
• Serve immediately.
• (They are also amazing right out of the fridge the next day :]).

NORTH CROATIAN SIMPLE BEANS SALAD

Steps:

• Cook beans until soft. Drain and put into salad bowl.
• Slice onion into very thin rings and add into beans. Season with salt and pepper. Mix water and vinegar and add into salad. Pour oil over and stir.
• Leave it in refrigerator at least one hour. You can keep surpluses in hermetically closed pot in refrigerator.

NORTH CROATIAN KOHLRABI STEW (KOLORABA CUSPAJZ)

Steps:

• Peel kohlrabi like you peel apples. Remove leaves (don't throw away baby leaves, you can slice them and put into stew later) and cut kohlrabi like you cut potato for French fry potato, but just little bit thicker.
• Melt lard (or butter) in a pot, add flour and sauté it 1 minute. Add water and make creamy liquid. Add sliced kohlrabi and add water to cover the vegetable. Add salt and pepper and baby leaves if you want.
• Cook about 30 minutes or until kohlrabi softens.
• At the end add sour cream, stir well and serve.

NORTH CROATIAN CUCUMBER STEW ("CUSPAJZ OD KRASTAVACA")

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers and cut them as for salad. Salt it and put aside for 10 minutes.
• Melt lard and add finely minced garlic and flour and sauté it until flour become brownish. Add paprika and stir well. Add cold water and make creamy liquid.
• Squeeze cucumbers with hand to extract bitter liquid and add cucumbers into the pot. Add vinegar, salt and pepper and cover with water.
• Cook not more than 30 minutes. Before serving add sour cream and stir.

THINLY SLICED BEEF CUTLETS WITH BISTRO GRAVY

Steps:

• Pop the steak into the freezer for 10-15 minutes: you want it cold and firm but not frozen.
• Slice the semi-frozen tenderloin steak into 8 thin discs about a quarter inch thick so it's the thickness of scaloppine.
• Set up three shallow dishes for breading: place 2 cups of flour in one, mix the breadcrumbs and parsley in another, then beat the eggs with some water in the last one.
• Season the tenderloin cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides then turn lightly into the flour.
• Next, coat the cutlets in egg mixture then into the breadcrumb-parsley mixture.
• Repeat for all 8 cutlets.
• Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil.
• Cook the beef cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 2-3 minutes on each side, until cutlets are is evenly browned.
• Remove the cutlets to a platter and tent with some foil to keep warm.
• Give the skillet a quick wipe with a paper towel, place it back over the heat and melt the butter.
• Add the shallots and cook until tender, about 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste and smoked paprika, cook for a minute, then add remaining tablespoon flour and cook for another minute.
• Whisk in the beef stock and season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir in capers and remaining parsley, and reserve.
• To serve, place a beef cutlet onto a platter and top with the bistro gravy and remaining chopped parsley.

PERSIAN CUTLET

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and dice.
• Boil potatoes in water for 15-20 minutes or until fork-tender; drain.
• Mash potatoes; allow to cool.
• Add ground beef, minced onion, salt, pepper, eggs, and spices (if desired) to potato and mix with your fingers until the consistency is dough-like.
• Take 2 spoonfuls of meat mixture and form into a small flat patty and dredge in breadcrumbs and set aside on waxed paper.
• Repeat with more meat mixture until you have quite a few made.
• Fry patties in shallow layer of oil, until they are cooked through and golden brown; drain on paper toweling.

NORTH CROATIAN BEEF CUTLET

Steps:

• Put grounded beef and pork into large glass bowl. Soak bread in cold water and after few minutes squeeze bread with hand to extract water; than put bread into meat.
• Add egg, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce.
• Cut leek into very thin pieces up to green parts (before it become full green) and add into meat.
• Very finely mince garlic and put into meat. Now, mix really well to make a smooth meat pile.
• Make cutlets with a tablespoon (approx. 100 to 150 g each) and shape them with hands, put into breadcrumbs to cover the cutlet. Now they are ready to fry. You can also make smaller meat balls and do what ever you want to do.