North Croatian Sautéed Beef Schnitzels Recipes

BEEF SCHNITZEL

Steps:

• Stretch a piece of plastic wrap over a chopping board; lay the steaks on top of plastic wrap; put another piece of plastic wrap on top. Use a rolling pin to bash the steaks until they are really flat and thin.
• Mix the flour and paprika with some salt and pepper on a plate.
• Put the egg and breadcrumbs on two separate plates.
• Dip the steaks in the flour first, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs.
• Heat 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon oil in a large frying pan.
• Cook one of the schnitzels for about 1 minute on each side until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy.
• Repeat steps 4,5, and 6 for the other schnitzels.
• Serve with lemon wedges, salad and coleslaw.

NORTH CROATIAN SAUTéED BEEF SCHNITZELS

Steps:

• Sauté finely minced onion on lard until become translucent. Add before thinned schnitzels and season them with salt and pepper. Sauté it until meat starts to leave juices and than add wine.
• Cook until alcohol evaporates and add paprikas (sweet and hot), thyme and caraway seeds. Stir and add water if necessary. Meat must be covered with liquid.
• Cook covered on low fire at least 60 minutes checking if there is enough liquid in it.
• About 10 minutes before end (meat should be soft) carefully add some flour to coagulate juices but be careful not to put it too fast - stir all the time. Some put sour cream in it some not: sour cream will reduce hotness if you put too much hot paprika. Serve with all kinds of pasta or potato.

NORTH CROATIAN BEEF CUTLET

Steps:

• Put grounded beef and pork into large glass bowl. Soak bread in cold water and after few minutes squeeze bread with hand to extract water; than put bread into meat.
• Add egg, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce.
• Cut leek into very thin pieces up to green parts (before it become full green) and add into meat.
• Very finely mince garlic and put into meat. Now, mix really well to make a smooth meat pile.
• Make cutlets with a tablespoon (approx. 100 to 150 g each) and shape them with hands, put into breadcrumbs to cover the cutlet. Now they are ready to fry. You can also make smaller meat balls and do what ever you want to do.

NORTH CROATIAN CUCUMBER STEW ("CUSPAJZ OD KRASTAVACA")

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers and cut them as for salad. Salt it and put aside for 10 minutes.
• Melt lard and add finely minced garlic and flour and sauté it until flour become brownish. Add paprika and stir well. Add cold water and make creamy liquid.
• Squeeze cucumbers with hand to extract bitter liquid and add cucumbers into the pot. Add vinegar, salt and pepper and cover with water.
• Cook not more than 30 minutes. Before serving add sour cream and stir.

NORTH CROATIAN GOULASH SOUP ("GULAS JUHA")

Steps:

• Melt lard and sauté finely minced onion until become soft and transparent. Cut kohlrabi and carrot into small cubes and saute until slightely softens.
• Slice beef into small (1 cm in diameter) pieces and add into the pot. Sauté beef in its own juices and after 5 to 10 minutes add red paprika (hot and sweet) salt and pepper. Stir well and add flour.
• Sauté everything until flour starts to brown and add water (it is on you to decide to use all water or not). Add thyme.
• Peel potato and cut into small pieces (1 cm in diameter) and add into the soup. Cook until potato and meat are soft or 90 minutes.

NORTH CROATIAN DEER GOULASH

Steps:

• If you have old deer it is recommended to keep the meat one day in marinade (wine and seasoning: put all seasoning into gauze cloth and make a small bag). If you have young deer this is not necessary.
• Sauté finely minced onion on lard until becomes translucent.
• Chop the meat into small pieces (2 - 3 cm large) and add into pot with onion. Add very finely minced pancetta.
• Sauté until meat becomes grayish. Add paprika, salt and pepper and mix all together.
• Add wine and seasoning bag and cook on easy fire about 15 minutes. Add game stock and cook 60 minutes.
• If you are putting potato than use two medium large potatoes, peal them and cut into small cubes and put into goulash. Cook until potato is done.
• If you are putting flour noodles (see recipe on Zaar) first cook them separately until they start to flow on surface, than put them into goulash and cook until done (about 20 minutes).
• Serve in bowl and eat with spoon.

WIENER SCHNITZEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°F. Set out the flour, bread crumbs, and beaten eggs on plates or in shallow bowls next to each other on your counter and have a stack of parchment or wax paper ready. Season the eggs liberally with salt and pepper.
• Dredge the cutlets, one at a time, in the egg, then the flour, then dip in the egg again, then dredge in the bread crumbs. Stack the breaded cutlets between layers of wax paper and, when all the veal is breaded, transfer the stack to chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes and up to 3 hours.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat until a pinch of flour dropped into the pan sizzles. Cook in batches as necessary, making sure not to crowd the pan, adding fat to the pan as needed. Turn the cutlets as soon as they're browned, then cook the other side. The total cooking time should be 5 minutes or less. As each piece of veal is done, transfer it to an ovenproof platter; place the platter in the oven.
• Serve as soon as all the cutlets are cooked, garnished with the parsley and with the lemon wedges on the side.
• Cotolette alla Milanese "Veal Cutlets Milan Style" (Italy)
• Simply omit the parsley and you have the Italian classic on which veal Parmigiana-really quite an American dish-with its topping of cheese and tomato sauce, is based.

KRAFNE (CROATIAN DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• Take a large pot (glass pot for salad or similar) and put in it flour, sugar, slightly melted butter, salt, rum and slightly warm milk (25-30°C) and mix well using mixer or dough-machine.
• The dough must be smooth and "shiny". Cover the dough with warm kitchen towel and leave it grow for 40-50 minutes (it must double in size).
• Knead the dough again and cut into two parts. One part cover with kitchen towel again and thin the second part into 2 cm thick dough. Use mould for "krafne" or normal glass 6 cm. in diameter. Cut round pieces. Do this until there is no more dough (re-knead and do it again).
• Now, knead the second part of the dough and do the same thing (with glass). Let it grow for more 20 minutes.
• Take a large pot, pour 1 liter of oil and heat to 80-100°C Fry several krafne in oil; first covered (not more than 1 minute or until brownish) on one side, and than uncovered1 minute on the other side (them must not touch each other). They must have white ring (we call it in Zagreb: "ramftl").
• When they are done, take them out of oil with hollow spoon and put onto paper towel to drain surplus of oil. Using cooking syringe put jam into each "krafn". Spread grounded sugar over and serve. They are very good when they are warm, but not too warm.