Potato Cutlets ("Kotleti")

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb (1 kg) potatoes
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion (optional)
• Grounded bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Peel the potatoes and cook until knife tender.
2. Drain the water from the potatoes and dry them.
3. While hot, mash the potatoes; add butter, raw eggs (whole or just the yolks), salt, and pepper.
4. You can add a finely chopped sauteed onion (optional).
5. Mix the mashed potato mixture.
6. Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and form an oval cutlet; roll in some flour or grounded bread crumbs.
7. Fry in vegetable oil on both sides until golden-brown.
8. Serve with a mushroom sauce. ENJOY!!

Meat Cutlets ("Kotleti")

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef (~60% of all meat)
• 1.5 lbs pork (~40% of all meat)
• 1 medium onion
• Flour
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Grind beef and pork (in a meat grinder) together twice. (You can use bought ground beef and pork if you don't have a meat grinder. However, the taste is much better if you grind it yourself).
2. Cut onion very finely and cook in a skillet in vegetable oil, stirring, until golden, then add the onion to the ground meat.
3. Put a piece of white bread in a bowl and pour some hot boiled water; mash it to make a paste. Add the paste to the ground meat.
4. Add salt and pepper and mix everything.
5. Take a piece of ground meat with a tablespoon, form an oval cutlet, roll in some flour, and cook in a large skillet in vegetable oil about 15-20 minutes (until no longer pink inside), turning over a few times while cooking.