Frikadellen

Frikadellen (German Pan-Fried Minced Meat Patties)

Classic German everyday patties made from a mix of pork and beef bound with soaked bread roll, onion and egg, pan-fried until deeply browned. Best eaten hot with potatoes or cold tucked into a bread roll.

Prep

20 min

Cook

15 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4 (makes 8 patties)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) minced pork, around 20% fat
• •300 g (10½ oz) minced beef, around 15% fat
• •1 piece stale bread roll (Brötchen), about 60 g, crust on, day-old
• •120 ml (½ cup) warm milk, for soaking the roll
• •1 medium onion, finely diced
• •1 tbsp butter or neutral oil, for sweating the onion
• •1 large egg
• •1 tsp salt
• •black pepper, ½, freshly ground
• •ground nutmeg, ¼, optional but traditional
• •1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, optional
• •2 tbsp neutral oil, for frying
• •1 tbsp butter, for frying, adds browning
• •1 tsp mustard, for serving, optional

Steps

1. 1 Tear the bread roll into chunks, place in a bowl and pour over the warm milk. Let soak for 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess milk and crumble the softened roll.
2. 2 Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small pan over medium heat, add the finely diced onion and a pinch of salt, and sweat for 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Let cool slightly.
3. 3 In a large bowl, combine the minced pork, minced beef, soaked bread, cooked onion, egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg and parsley (if using). Mix with your hands or a fork just until evenly combined; do not overwork or the patties will be tough.
4. 4 Cover and chill the mixture for at least 15 minutes (up to 2 hours) so the soaked bread fully binds the meat.
5. 5 With damp hands, divide the mixture into 8 equal portions (about 120 g each) and shape into flat round patties roughly 8-9 cm across and 1.5 cm thick. Press a small dimple in the centre of each so they stay flat while cooking.
6. 6 Heat the oil and butter together in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until the butter foams. Add the patties (in batches if needed, do not crowd the pan) and fry for about 3-4 minutes on the first side until a deep golden crust forms.
7. 7 Flip and fry for another 3-4 minutes on the second side. Reduce the heat slightly if the crust is browning too fast.
8. 8 To confirm they are cooked through, the patties should feel firm when pressed and the juices should run clear; for food safety the internal centre should reach 72 °C (162 °F) on an instant-read thermometer.
9. 9 Remove to a plate, cover loosely and let rest 2-3 minutes. Serve hot with boiled or mashed potatoes, or let cool fully and serve cold in a bread roll with mustard.