In Ukrainian, kotleti (pronounced cot-lay-tee-ah) is a Ukrainian style meatball or patty that is often breaded and then cooked in a skillet. Different European cultures have their own version of this patty using an assortment of ground meats (usually pork mixed with another ground meat), mixing it with bread and milk or sour cream, dill, garlic and onion and sometimes breading it, sometimes not, then frying it and serving plain, as is, or on the side with rice or mashed potatoes and vegetables like salad.
It reminds me a bit of when my mom cooked ground meat patties for supper. I’d watch her fry them on the stove and would sneak a piece when she wasn’t watching. They were always delicious.
Today, my version is not breaded and will be fried in the skillet and the drippings will be turned into a gravy. The gravy makes the cutlets tender and flavorful and goes great with mashed potatoes. This meal is simply amazing and one your family is sure to love!
Let’s get started!
Tear a piece of bread and place in a bowl with milk or cream. I’m using cream today but regular or plant based milk works great too. Let sit until bread has absorbed the milk.
Season ground pork with onion seasoning, dill, salt and pepper. Add diced onion.
Add egg and bread to the ground pork. This not only helps bind it, but helps to keep the ground meat tender after cooking.
Stir well.
Shape into patties. Place in skillet with melted lard or grease of choice. I cooked 4 patties and froze the other 4 patties.
Cook on medium low until browned, flip and cook on other side. Cook until no longer pink or at least to an internal temperature of 160F/71C. I kept flipping and cooking until a deep brown, about 30 minutes.
Remove patties from pan. Time to make the gravy. Cook onion and celery until tender.
Add flour and stir well.
Continue stirring until flour has slightly browned. If you add the water too quickly, the gravy will have a flour taste that does not taste good. Scrape the pan — you want all that flavor in the gravy! Add salt and pepper and dill (both dried or fresh works).
Add water slowly, continuously stirring.
Cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir often.
Add cream and stir well.
Add meat patties back and cook another 15 minutes. I flipped them after about 8 minutes and cooked another 8 minutes.
Serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetables. This is a delicious l, comforting meal I could eat everyday!
Pork Patties with Gravy
2 slices bread or one hot dog bun, torn in small pieces and enough milk or cream to just cover the bread. Stir and set aside until milk is absorbed.
1-1/2 lbs ground pork
1 egg
1/2 small onion, diced – save 2 tbsp for gravy
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh cracked pepper or 1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp onion seasoning
1/4 tsp dried dill
Tear bread and place in a bowl with milk or cream. I’m using cream. Let sit until bread has absorbed the milk. Season ground pork with onion seasoning, dill, salt and pepper. Add diced onion. Add egg and bread to the ground pork. Stir well. Shape into patties. Place in skillet with melted lard or grease of choice. Cook on medium low until browned, flip and cook on other side. Cook until no longer pink or at least to an internal temperature of 160F/71C. Remove from pan. Make gravy and place patties back in to cook 15 minutes, flipping half way through. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Gravy:
2 tbsp diced onion
2 tbsp diced celery
1/4 cup flour
2-1/4 cups water
1/4 cup cream
In pan drippings, cook onion and celery until tender. Add flour and stir well. Continue stirring until flour has slightly browned. Add water slowly, continuously stirring. Cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. Add cream and stir well. Add meat patties back and cook another 15 minutes.
I bought a bunch of ground pork and decided to make these pork patties using just ground pork as well as breakfast sausage patties — my daughter and I made enough for 8 meals for just $19.99.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours