How to Make Fluffy Kotlety

Culinary hacks can still surprise — especially when they come from the past. This time the past offers up the famed 1952 Soviet «The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food». Although many have reservations about this edition, it does contain a few simple rules that yield fluffy, well‑browned kotlety (minced meat patties).

The first secret — bread. And not a fresh loaf, but slightly stale, without crusts. It should be soaked in water or milk. This bread not only absorbs meat juices and keeps them from escaping, it also makes the kotlety light. The bread can account for up to 30% of the mince — that’s not stinginess, it’s technique.

The second point — fat and onion. To keep the mince from turning out dry, the meat needs fat. When frying, some of it soaks into the bread while some renders and forms steam that seems to “lift” the cutlet. If the meat is lean, add a little lard. Onion matters too, but it’s better not to add it raw — lightly sauté it so it keeps its aroma and doesn’t burn.

The third rule: no eggs. The authors warn that eggs weigh down the mince and force you to add flour or breadcrumbs. Finely ground, well‑chilled mince holds its shape perfectly on its own. Chilling before shaping also increases its stickiness.

These simple, time‑tested rules still work and help you cook kotlety worthy of the strictest tasters. Sometimes it’s enough to open a classic cookbook to remember that the “new” is just the well‑forgotten “old”.