Mild minced meat patties

A quick post at the end of the day. Today I wanted to make Ninka a “school dinner”, because I know she eats minced meat patties at school. So I made the simplest version. No onion, no bread roll soaked in milk. Just meat, an egg and breadcrumbs. Plus marjoram, which gave them a mild but fairly simple flavour.

I thought it would be perfect for my daughter. Hence mild minced meat patties, rather than anything else (simple or basic, for instance 😉

But lately, what I think tends to be rather different from reality. So yes, I thought. Unfortunately, the patty failed to meet a picky child’s strict standards, though Daddy had a great time with them.

I won’t venture to say who might like this rather primitive version of a meat patty. Still, don’t be fooled into thinking Nina would be thrilled with one made by Magda Gessler. She would reject it with just as much contempt 😉 So I recommend these all the same.

I’m not discouraged, especially as I’ve still got plenty in reserve for the pizza my Ninka tolerates. Besides, at weekends I always have a standby: my trusty clear meat broth. And I’m in an exceptionally good mood this Friday evening. Though perhaps that’s just my impression, too.

All the same,

have a lovely weekend, Dear Children!

Recipe facts:

Preparation time: 50 minutes

Serves: 4 people (makes 4 patties)

Calories: I’m not in the mood for counting calories today

Ingredients for simple minced meat patties:

• 40 decagrams of minced pork (I used half pork and half minced veal, but you could use just beef)
• 1 hen’s egg (medium)
• 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs (for the meat mixture)
• breadcrumbs (for coating the patties)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of dried marjoram
• salt
• olive oil

Recipe for mild minced meat patties:

I put the meat in a deep bowl. I added the seasonings: a level tablespoon of salt, marjoram (a generous tablespoon) and freshly ground black pepper (not too much). I mixed it with a spoon and cracked in the egg. I mixed thoroughly and added 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. I mixed it again. The mixture for the patties should be fairly dry, so if you had a large egg, you’ll need to add a little more flour.

I put breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl for coating the patties.

I heated olive oil in a frying pan (quite a lot of it). I divided the meat into 4 portions and shaped each into a ball, working the meat between my hands for a moment to make a firm patty. Then I flattened them into patties (as in the photos). I put them in the bowl of flour and coated each one well with the breadcrumbs.

I placed them in the hot oil and fried them for about 5 minutes on each side (on my induction hob, setting 5 on a scale of 1 – 10). Then I lowered the “heat” (setting 3 on a scale of 1 – 10 on my induction hob) and covered the pan with a lid. I cooked them like this for roughly another 30 minutes, turning them over from time to time (every 5 – 6 minutes). After that, the patties are ready. Perfect for lunch. Of course, you can make more and reheat them the next day. They’ll be just as delicious. Enjoy!