How to freeze cutlets recipe with photos step by step

Evrouk — Sep 23rd, 2016 Categories: Freezing

Tags: Frozen cutlets, Freezing meat, Semi-finished products

Any working housewife wants to save her time in the kitchen, but at the same time feed her loved ones tasty and satisfying food. Ready-made store-bought semi-finished products are expensive, and it is not clear what they are made of. The solution in this situation is to prepare semi-finished products yourself. In particular, you can cook and freeze cutlets for future use.

Ingredients: onion, meat, fish, salt, bread, black pepper, garlic, eggs Time to set: All year

Is it possible to put meat products in the freezer?

Meat products, including cutlets, meatballs, zrazy, whole meat or chicken dishes, can be frozen. After freezing, cutlets do not lose their beneficial properties , and when cooked correctly they turn out juicy and appetizing.
For those housewives who are interested in the question of whether it is possible to freeze chicken Kiev, we will answer in the affirmative. According to the classic recipe, cutlets are made from whole meat, and a piece of butter is placed inside. Both meat and butter tolerate freezing well, and after cooking, the cutlets turn out as tasty as freshly prepared ones.

Advice

Do not freeze cutlets made from store-bought minced meat. If the minced meat has already been frozen before, then after re-freezing the cutlets may fall apart and completely lose their beneficial properties.

Freezing ready meals: tips for finding free time

Are there days when you don’t have the time or desire to stand at the stove? Prepare for them in advance!

What can you store in the freezer?

We have already written that fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, tomatoes for pizza and much more can be frozen for the winter, and the fact that during the harvesting season this material is a huge success means that our readers always have some in their freezers. useful preparations!

But did you know that you can freeze not only plant foods, semi-finished products, dumplings and dumplings? It is much more economical in terms of time to freeze ready-to-eat dishes, which you only have to reheat and serve. For heating, it is best to use a microwave - one of the most important household appliances in the house.

Take these basic recipes and start experimenting with your favorite snacks!

How to freeze chicken

Every third housewife thinks about whether it is possible to freeze fried chicken, but only every fifth decides to experiment! In fact, chicken cooked in the oven or according to the tapaka chicken principle tolerates freezing well and practically does not lose either its taste or consistency.

After defrosting, the chicken completely retains its shape, the skin remains in the same place, the color does not change. Checked! If you're afraid, try freezing a small piece, such as a wing or leg!

You can cook chicken on a free day, and it is much more convenient to bake several carcasses at once; this will save time, since you will have to wash the dishes and oven once. Cool the finished chicken well at room temperature, then wrap it in cling film so that less air gets into the packaging, and place the appetizer in the refrigerator. If you have an unexpected visit from guests or simply when you don’t feel like cooking, heat it up, prepare the quickest salad as a side dish and enjoy!

Cutlets and meatballs - a quick dinner

When preparing cutlets, meatballs or other minced meat dishes for lunch, cook them in double quantity. In terms of time spent, you will lose practically nothing, well, maybe an extra half hour will be spent on frying the cutlets. But then, when you don’t have time to prepare dinner, these preparations will definitely help you out.

The cutlets look no less appetizing than fresh ones

It is best to cool meat cutlets for freezing and wrap them in film, 2-4 pieces at a time. Meatballs can be frozen directly in tomato sauce by placing them in a portioned plastic container that can withstand both low and high temperatures. You can also freeze fried pieces of meat with or without sauce, chops, including lazy ones, stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls.

Freezing dumplings and dumplings

Now a little about how to properly freeze dumplings and dumplings. Dough products intended for cooking are best frozen raw. Always place dumplings in a single layer on a plate, trays or heavy cardboard.

To prevent the dough from sticking, it is recommended to cover the base with film. After freezing, pour the products into a bag and tie tightly. In this way you can freeze lazy dumplings and dumplings and dumplings made from choux pastry.

You can prepare homemade dumplings not only on the stove, but also in a slow cooker. This will save a lot of time. They are also convenient to use for quickly preparing soup or for a hot snack in portioned pots.

Dumplings in vareniki should be placed in one layer

Preparations for soups

To avoid wasting time preparing frying soup, make several preparations at once. Fry onions, carrots, mushrooms, and other vegetables that you like to add to broths and freeze it all in small portions in plastic bags or plastic cups. The glasses will then need to be wrapped in film to prevent air from entering.

With the same success, you can freeze broths, which, for example, remain after boiling meat or chicken for salad. Plastic bottles and containers are suitable for this purpose.

Frozen fish cutlets in a frying pan

One of the most popular varieties of frozen cutlets are semi-finished fish products. The fact is that minced pork, beef and chicken can be purchased at almost any large supermarket, and therefore making cutlets yourself is quite simple.

With minced fish, things are much more complicated - stores usually sell low-quality products that are not made from pure fillets. Therefore, for truly delicious homemade cutlets, you either have to make minced meat yourself or use ready-made fish cutlets.

Ingredients

Frozen fish cutlets – 1 package;
Sunflower oil – for frying;
Lemon – ½ fruit.

How and how long to fry frozen fish cutlets

Remove the frozen cutlets from the packaging and let them stand for a while. This product is usually breaded, so a sign that it’s time to start frying will be the disappearance of frost on the breadcrumbs.
Pour sunflower oil into a wide frying pan and heat it over high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium and place the cutlets in the pan so that they cover the bottom in one layer.
Fry the semi-finished product on one side for 7-10 minutes until it is properly browned.
Turn over to the opposite side and cook for another 5 minutes. After this, remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle the fish cutlets with the juice of half a lemon, cover with a lid and let it brew for a couple of minutes.

Now that you know how to fry frozen cutlets in a frying pan, it will not be difficult for you to cook even an unfamiliar product, the packaging of which does not indicate the cooking method

Remember that the most important thing in cooking frozen semi-finished products is to cook them not only on the outside, but also on the inside, so be sure to simmer the cutlets after a crust has formed on them.

Greenery

You can freeze fresh greens; it is best to cut them. Housewives often supplement the greens with some vegetables, for example, bell pepper. It's a great idea to freeze your greens in cubes. To do this, you need to cut it, pour boiling water over it and put it in ice trays. Add a little water to each mold and freeze. When cooking, you can simply throw a cube of herbs into a pot of soup or a frying pan with vegetables.

Idea for greenery. Where to put excess parsley and dill?

Finely chopped and blanched greens are used to make “green butter.” You infuse olive oil with herbs, herbs, and spices. This oil can also be frozen in ice cube trays.

Another way to make a preparation of greens: mix chopped greens (here you don’t have to scald them) with butter. Form into small sausages and freeze. This preparation is used for filling chicken Kiev. But it can also be prepared for soups and main courses.

Advantages and disadvantages

Freezing food has a number of advantages:

food in the freezer lasts much longer than in the refrigerator;
products do not lose their beneficial properties;
There is always an option for a quick homemade lunch or dinner at hand.

The disadvantages of freezing semi-finished meat products include only the need for storage under strict temperature conditions - at least -18 degrees. Otherwise, frozen cutlets do not differ in their properties from freshly prepared ones.

Methods

How to properly freeze cabbage? There are 2 ways to freeze cabbage:

The first method is not suitable for white cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. These types themselves are very large and will take up half of the freezer. Therefore, it is recommended to first chop the white cabbage, and divide the cauliflower and broccoli into inflorescences.

If desired, small heads of Brussels sprouts can also be first cut into 2 parts , as shown in the photo above, and only then sent to freeze (you can read more about this type in the article “Freezing Brussels sprouts for the winter”).

In addition, freezing itself can be done in:

industrial freezers;
home free-standing freezers;
in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator.

How can you store cabbage in the freezer? If you don’t have to wash cabbage for storing in the cellar or refrigerator, then you should definitely . Then cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kohlrabi should be cleared of leaves, and broccoli and cauliflower should be divided into inflorescences.

It is better to soak all varieties (except cabbage) for 15 minutes in salted cold water to make sure that insects are not hiding between the leaves.

Then the cabbage is allowed to dry on a towel for about 15-20 minutes so that excess liquid is removed , there is no excess glaze during freezing and nothing sticks to each other.

And then the vegetable, if necessary, is cut a little smaller and sent to the freezer of the refrigerator on a cutting board or directly in bags.

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Step-by-step preparation of freezing cutlets for future use, recipe with photo:

1. Wash the meat, dry it with a paper towel, cut off the films with veins and twist through a meat grinder with a middle grid. Place it in a deeper bowl to make it easier to mix the minced meat.

2. Peel the onions, wash them and also pass them through the auger of a meat grinder.

3. Add salt, ground black pepper and seasoning for cutlets to the products.

4. Next, pour oatmeal into the minced meat.

5. Then beat in the raw egg.

6. Mix the minced meat well. It is advisable to do this with your hands, passing it between your fingers.

7. With wet hands, form uniformly sized oval or round patties. To prevent the minced meat from sticking to your hands, moisten them with water. Don't make them too large. But even small ones will be inconvenient for further use. Find a middle ground.

Wrap the cutting board in cling film to make it easier to remove the finished semi-finished product later. Place the cutlets on it on a small plant from each other so that during the freezing process they do not stick together. Place them in the freezer and freeze the cutlets at a temperature of -15°C and below for 3-4 hours. When the cutlets are frozen, remove them from the plate and package them in special plastic containers or bags. Send them for further storage in the freezer at a temperature not exceeding -15°C.

To cook frozen cutlets, you do not need to defrost them first. It is enough to fry them in the usual way. But if the frozen patties stick together, leave them at room temperature for 15 minutes to thaw a little so they can be easily separated.

Note

: You can freeze ready-made cutlets for future use. To do this, lightly fry them, but do not bring them to full readiness, because... Then, once frozen, you will reheat them in a frying pan. Then place on a paper towel to absorb excess fat and freeze in the same way as raw ones. But if the cutlets are completely ready, you just need to defrost them in the microwave and then reheat them in it.

See also the video recipe on how to freeze cutlets.

Source

Meatballs

Classic meatballs cook quickly, store well and keep their shape after freezing. For the dish you will need the following products:

minced meat (pork and beef in approximately the same quantity) - 400 g;
boiled round rice - 1 tbsp.;
onion - 1 pc.;
salt;
ground black pepper;
flour.

Process of preparing meatballs:

The minced meat is ground with onions in a meat grinder.
Salt, add pepper, rice.
Mix the mass with your hands, achieving a uniform state.
Form meatballs by dipping them in flour.
Place on a sheet and place in the freezer.

How to cook river fish cutlets

First, let's deal with the fish itself. I have it small - breams, total weight - 1.5 kilograms.

Let's clean it of scales. To do this, you can use a knife or a special tool for cleaning fish. Next, we rip open the belly and clean out all the insides. We thoroughly rinse the breams with water and allow the excess liquid to drain.

Now we need to fillet the fish for minced meat from the bones and backbone. To do this, I make a cut along the entire back of the fish with a sharp knife and pull out the dorsal fins. I do the same with the lower part of the fish. Then I cut off the head. Prying the meat with my thumb, I move from the head to the tail along the ridge. I do this manipulation on each side of the fish. Thus, the meat is removed quite easily, leaving only the backbone and side rib bones. River fish is very bony, so you don’t need to try to remove absolutely all the bones, but only the largest ones.

Now, let's prepare all the ingredients for the minced meat. Peel and cut the onions (300 grams) into large pieces, cut the lard (200 grams) into cubes. If there is no lard, then you can do without it, the cutlets will be dietary.

Grind the fish fillet, onion and lard through a meat grinder. If you wish, you can pass the minced meat through a meat grinder twice to be sure of grinding all the remaining bones. But I can say for sure that if you have removed all the large bones, then the finished cutlets will have a uniform consistency even after the first twist.

Add salt, pepper, fish spices, 1 tablespoon of semolina and 1 chicken egg to the finished minced fish. Mix everything thoroughly and let the minced meat stand for 30 minutes so that the semolina swells. If the consistency of the minced meat is runny, then you can add a little more semolina.

How to freeze raw cutlets at home

To freeze the cutlets, prepare minced meat or fish cutlets, as usual, according to your favorite recipe. You can add onions, garlic, soaked bread, eggs, and spices. In general, as you are used to doing. Then we form cutlets and place them in one row on a baking sheet or cutting board.

Place the baking sheet with the cutlets in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then we take it out and pour the meat products into the bag. Place in the freezer for further storage.

In the video, Vita Vika will tell you in detail about the intricacies of freezing cutlets

Cooking dinner

Now there are semi-finished products in the refrigerator, and therefore this process becomes much faster. Yes, and more convenient. Sometimes you can hear the opinion that after defrosting food becomes carcinogenic. But science has not yet found any evidence of this. The only point: if the minced meat already contains onions, then after defrosting gourmets may feel a slight change in its smell. But most people don't feel any difference. Moreover, you can pre-fry the onion and only then add it to the minced meat. Then you will not feel any foreign smell.

By the way, it is not necessary to defrost them at all. Just put it in a frying pan and simmer in tomato sauce. Another option is to steam it. Then all you need to do is place them in the steamer grid and turn on the program. If you want to get a golden brown crust, heat the frying pan well, pour a little oil and place the cutlets directly from the freezer. Close the lid and reduce the heat to low. First the crust will set, and then further cooking will take place.

How to form semi-finished products

For a kilogram of cutlet mass you will need 100 g of breadcrumbs. Pour it into a convenient cup and start shaping the products. There are several ways to do this, among which you can choose the most convenient one.

With clean, slightly damp hands, form a patty of the required size and roll well in breadcrumbs. To prevent the products from sticking together and moving away from the packaging, it is recommended to use crackers rather than flour. And then the crust turns out more interesting. Is it possible to freeze ready-made cutlets in muffin tins? Very simple. And housewives are happy to use this method. After freezing, simply pour them into a bag.
You can lay out semi-finished products ready for frying on a cutting board, covering it with film. Be sure to leave space between the products and cover with cling film on top. And in this form, send it to the freezer.
If you plan to make a large quantity, you can lay it out in several layers. To avoid damaging the shape, it is best to make thin minced meat cutlets, otherwise the top ones will flatten the bottom ones. Or give the first batch time to freeze.

To be or not to be

The question of whether it is possible to freeze ready-made cutlets arises among housewives quite often. This is a dream. We come home from work, put it on a plate, pour it with tomato sauce - and that’s it, you can serve it. But vague doubts still remain. Will the product lose its qualities during defrosting? How long can it be stored? Experienced chefs and cooks answer positively the question of whether it is possible to freeze ready-made cutlets. This is a great time and effort saver, as well as a way to save food.

Meatballs

Frozen meatballs allow you to prepare a delicious, nutritious soup in half an hour. For this you will need:

ground meat;
salt.

Chicken and turkey meatballs turn out a little dry, and the broth will not be rich. The best way to make these “koloboks” is from young beef mixed with pork. Many housewives prepare meatballs only from pork, without adding other meat.

Preparation:

Minced meat bought in a store is minced in a meat grinder.
The mass is additionally kneaded with hands or a masher.
Form small balls with your hands, place them on a sheet sprinkled with flour, and place it in the freezer.

There is no need to dip the meatballs themselves in flour, otherwise the soup will turn out cloudy.

Minced meat sauce

Many main courses are seasoned with meat gravy. It can be prepared for future use and the semi-finished product can be used within a week. For the gravy you will need:

mixed minced meat (50% pork, 50% beef) - 600–700 g;
1 large onion;
1 sweet bell pepper;
tomato paste - 50 g or more (to taste);
vegetable oil - tbsp. l.;
flour - tbsp. l.;
parsley (fresh or dried);
salt to taste.

Preparing gravy for freezing:

Place the minced meat in a deep frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and vegetable oil, and lightly fry.
Add chopped vegetables.
After 10–12 minutes, add tomato paste and fry the ingredients.
Place flour in a frying pan and lightly fry it.
Add hot boiled water, add parsley, cook the gravy until thickened.
The cooled semi-finished product is packaged in small portion containers (or plastic bags with clips) and placed in the freezer.

Lenten potato zrazy

Since zrazy are prepared from potato dough, they are very good during Lent - healthy and filling. You can cook it with or without filling; it is clear that with vegetables or mushrooms the dish will be more tasty.

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 1 kg.
Flour – 4 tbsp. l.
Flour for adding when forming zraz.
Champignons – 0.5 kg.
Vegetable oil.
Sugar, black pepper, salt.

Algorithm of actions:

For this recipe, you can start the process by preparing the filling. Peel the onion and chop. Chop the champignons too.
Fry in oil in different containers. Combine, add spices and salt (a little at a time). Leave to cool.
Boil the potatoes. Mash into a homogeneous mass. Add a little salt and sugar. Add flour (you may need more flour than indicated in the recipe). Knead the dough until it is soft and elastic.
Wet your hands with water and separate small portions of dough. Form a flat cake directly into your palm. Place the filling on this flatbread. Helping with your other hand, form immediately.
Roll in flour/breadcrumbs. Fry.

Burrito with beans and corn

Hungry Dudes/Flickr.com You can wrap almost anything in a tortilla. For example, minced meat with canned beans and corn. Makes a great quick burrito.

Ingredients

500 g minced beef;
400 g hard cheese;
200 g canned corn;
200 g canned white beans;
100 ml thick tomato sauce;
12 tortillas;
1 onion;
1 red bell pepper;
olive oil for frying;
salt, pepper and garlic powder - to taste.

Preparation

Peel the onion, chop finely and fry with minced meat in olive oil. Drain liquid from corn and beans, remove seeds from bell peppers and cut into cubes.

Add vegetables to the minced meat when it becomes soft. Season with salt and pepper, add ¾ of grated cheese, garlic powder and other spices, and pour in tomato sauce. Stir and simmer for a few more minutes.

Sprinkle tortillas with remaining cheese. Place the filling on them, roll them into envelopes and hold them in a dry hot frying pan for 1-2 minutes.