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Gravy for cutlets with tomato paste
Instructions
I prepare all the ingredients I need. I use homemade mince: I passed the meat through a grinder together with 1 large onion. For the mince I also soak 2 slices of bread in milk or water, then squeeze out the liquid, mash the bread and add it to the mince – you can pass it through the grinder as well.
I add 1 egg, half a teaspoon of salt and a little allspice to the mince. I mix everything together well into a smooth, homogeneous mass.
I shape the cutlets from the prepared mince and place them in a heated skillet with vegetable oil. To make the cutlets easier to shape, I dip my hands in cold water.
I fry the cutlets until golden brown on both sides.
While the cutlets fry, I chop one small onion, or two very small ones, into fine cubes. When the cutlets are ready or almost ready (this is a case where you can stop short of fully cooking them, so the cutlets don't turn out over-fried), I take them out of the skillet and put the chopped onion in their place.
I sauté the onion for literally a minute, then add the tomato paste and flour and stir.
Then I pour in just under a cup of water or broth. I stir well, add a little salt and pepper, and simmer the gravy over medium-low heat until it thickens.
Now I return the cutlets to the skillet and stew them in the sauce for about 4–5 minutes.
The cutlets with gravy are ready. They turned out very tasty and juicy. I serve them with any side dish and always sprinkle them with fresh herbs.Bon appétit!
Tips
- 1
Bread soaked in milk – the "secret" to juiciness. Without bread the mince turns out dense and rubbery; soaked bread makes the cutlets tender.
- 2
Cutlets cooked not quite through – the "secret" to tenderness. They finish cooking in the gravy and won't dry out.
- 3
Flour and tomato paste – the "secret" to a thick gravy. The flour binds the sauce, while the paste gives it colour and flavour. Without flour you get thin, watery gravy.
- 4
Wet hands – the mince won't stick. Dip your hands in cold water before each cutlet and shaping them is easy. The same principle works for other kinds of cutlets in gravy.
Video
FAQ
Which mince should I choose? +
A 50/50 pork and beef mix is ideal, just as in the recipe – it is the classic choice for cutlets. Alternatives are lean beef, dietary chicken, or turkey for children. Check the composition of shop-bought mince, and mince ground fresh at home tastes better. A fat content of around 20–25% is best for juiciness. Thaw frozen mince in the fridge for 6–8 hours. A meat-to-bread ratio of 4:1 works well, and onion in the mince is a must.
What can I use instead of tomato paste? +
You can use 4–5 fresh tomatoes (blanched and puréed), ketchup (though it is sweeter, so reduce any sugar), tomato juice (300 ml in place of 50 g of paste plus 130 ml of water), or tinned tomatoes in their juice. Homemade tomato paste is the premium option. For an Italian-style gravy use passata (tomato purée); for a lighter version use fresh tomatoes without any paste. For 500 g of mince, 50 g of paste is about right.
How long do the cutlets with gravy keep? +
They keep in a covered container in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave for 2–3 minutes under a lid, or in a skillet with 1 tbsp of water under a lid for 5 minutes. They freeze for up to 1 month (in portions with the gravy). Thaw them in the fridge for 8–12 hours, or reheat them straight away over low heat. By the second day the dish has had time to rest and the flavour becomes richer. The sauce will thicken in the fridge, which is normal, and turns liquid again when reheated. Don't leave the dish at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
What should I serve the cutlets with? +
Good side dishes are mashed potatoes (a classic, as it soaks up the gravy), pasta, buckwheat, boiled rice, pearl barley or millet. Steamed vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower or stewed carrots also work, as do fresh salads of cucumber, tomato and herbs. Dark or rye bread will soak up the sauce. The dish goes well with pickled cucumbers and tomatoes, and it is a versatile choice for everyday meals.
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