The Secret of Grandma's Cutlets: Why Eggs and Raw Onion Ruin the Taste.

According to ТСН: Our grandmothers knew the true culinary secrets, especially when it came to making cutlets. We will explain what allowed them to achieve the juiciness, lightness, and browning of this dish.

How to Cook Delicious Cutlets: What to Pay Attention To

Should You Add Bread to the Cutlet Mince and How to Do It

Modern chefs often argue about whether to add bread to the mince, considering it a way to cheapen the dish. However, our grandmothers had a different opinion. Bread is not a substitute for meat, but an important element in preparation.

Old cookbooks recommended using wheat bread, slightly stale. Before use, it should be soaked in milk or water. Fresh bread makes cutlets dense and "rubbery", while stale bread absorbs moisture well, including meat juice and fat, making the dish juicy.

The ideal ratio of bread in the mince should not exceed 30 percent.

What Meat Should Be Used for Cutlets

For cutlets, it is better to use meat that is not too lean. Fatty pork or beef is recommended, always adding lard. During cooking, the fat melts, creating air pockets in the mince, which are filled with steam, giving the cutlets lightness and airiness.

What Onion to Add to the Cutlet Mince

Our grandmothers considered it necessary to sauté the onion. Raw onion added to the mince can give the dish bitterness. Sautéed onion becomes transparent, absorbs fat, acquires sweetness, aroma, and evenly distributes its taste in the meat mixture.

Why You Should Avoid Eggs

An interesting tip for modern cooks is to avoid eggs in the mince. An egg is considered an unnecessary binding element that makes the mince too dense, and during cooking, the protein tightens the meat, preventing the cutlets from remaining light.

Instead of eggs, it's recommended to finely chop the meat and mix it thoroughly. The meat should be ground through the meat grinder only once, and then the mince should be beaten vigorously against the bowl for a long time.

Final Preparation of the Mince

The formed mince is recommended to be placed in a cool place for one to two hours, but not frozen. Cooling makes the mixture more viscous, ensuring the ideal shape of the ready cutlets.

These tips confirm the simple truth: true culinary art lies not in the quantity of ingredients, but in a deep understanding of their interaction.