Equipment
Ingredients
Veal Mixture
- 500 g ground veal, cold
- 60 ml heavy cream, cold
- 40 g white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces
- 50 g unsalted butter, frozen solid
- 6 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Breading Station
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 2 egg, lightly beaten
- 100 g plain breadcrumbs
Frying & Sauce
- 45 ml clarified butter
- 45 ml chicken stock
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 40 g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
- 5 g fresh dill, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 770 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 56 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1033 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 29 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 19 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 249 mg
- Potassium
- 403 mg
- Calcium
- 110 mg
- Iron
- 4.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 61 mg
- Phosphorus
- 378 mg
- Zinc
- 4.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 355 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 3.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.46 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.65 mg
- Niacin
- 9.2 mg
- Folate
- 61 mcg
- Water
- 139 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a small mixing bowl, combine the torn white bread and cold heavy cream. Let sit for 10 minutes until completely softened, then mash into a smooth paste.
In a larger mixing bowl, combine the ground veal, the bread and cream paste, salt, and black pepper. Using a box grater, grate the frozen unsalted butter directly into the meat mixture. Gently fold the ingredients together with your hands just until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
Divide the veal mixture into 4 equal portions and shape them into oval patties, approximately 2 centimeters thick. Place the shaped patties on a parchment-lined tray.
Refrigerate the tray of shaped patties for 30 minutes. This firms up the grated butter and helps the meat hold its shape during the breading process.
Set up a standard breading station using three shallow dishes: one for the all-purpose flour, one for the lightly beaten eggs, and one for the plain breadcrumbs. Dredge each chilled patty in the flour, shaking off the excess, dip it thoroughly into the egg, and finally coat evenly with breadcrumbs, pressing gently to ensure adhesion.
Heat the clarified butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully add the breaded cutlets and fry for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Cook until the crust is deep golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 71 C (160 F). Transfer the cooked patties to a warm plate or wire rack.
Pour off any excess fat from the skillet, leaving just enough to coat the bottom. Return the pan to medium heat and add the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Allow the liquid to simmer and reduce slightly for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat. Briskly whisk in the cold cubed butter, one or two pieces at a time, until the sauce becomes smooth, opaque, and fully emulsified. Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and chopped dill.
Transfer the hot veal cutlets to serving plates and spoon the warm lemon-butter and dill sauce generously over the top. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Grating frozen butter directly into the meat mixture mimics the traditional Russian 'Pozharsky' technique. As the cutlet cooks, the butter pieces melt to create small steam pockets, yielding incredibly tender and juicy results.
- Using a panade, the mixture of torn bread and heavy cream, prevents the lean ground veal from tightening up during the cooking process and binds the meat without making it dense.
- Clarified butter is ideal for pan-frying these cutlets as it provides rich, complementary flavor but removes the milk solids that would otherwise scorch at medium-high temperatures.
- When mounting the pan sauce with cold butter, known classically as 'monter au beurre', keeping the heat low or residual ensures the butterfat and water emulsify seamlessly without splitting.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store sauce separately from the breaded cutlets to prevent sogginess.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze uncooked, breaded patties in a single layer before transferring to an airtight container. Do not freeze the sauce.
Reheating: Reheat cooked patties on a wire rack in a 175 C (350 F) oven for 10-12 minutes until warmed through and crisp. Reheat sauce very gently over low heat, whisking constantly.
Troubleshooting
Patties fall apart during frying
Cause: Meat mixture was too warm or overmixed, melting the butter structure before it hit the pan.
Fix: Carefully press the patty back together in the pan using a spatula and use a wider spatula for gentler flipping.
Prevention: Ensure all ingredients stay very cold and strictly observe the 30-minute chilling step before breading.
Lemon-butter sauce breaks or separates into clear grease
Cause: The pan was too hot when the butter was added, or the butter was not cold enough.
Fix: Vigorously whisk in a teaspoon of ice-cold water or heavy cream to re-establish the emulsion.
Prevention: Always remove the pan from the heat completely before whisking in butter, and ensure butter cubes are refrigerator-cold.
Breading burns before the center is cooked
Cause: Frying heat was too high or patties were shaped too thick.
Fix: Transfer quickly to a 175 C (350 F) oven to finish cooking the interior without further darkening the crust.
Prevention: Maintain moderate medium heat and ensure patties are flattened to an even 2-centimeter thickness.
Cultural Context
Rooted deeply in Russian culinary tradition, the 'kotleta' is a beloved comfort food, with ground meat patties serving as the focal point of both everyday family dinners and festive spreads. This specific veal variation draws structural inspiration from the legendary 'Pozharsky cutlet', which is famous for its inclusion of cold butter folded into ground meat. It is elevated here with a bright, French-influenced lemon and dill finish that cuts beautifully through the rich, buttery profile of the dish.
