Compared to other holiday dishes, chops have an undeniable advantage - it is relatively easy to cook them. But their taste is wonderful. Making beef chops in a pan, the recipe of which you will find in this article, you will certainly have to tinker, but if you follow the technology, the result will reward all the efforts.
How to choose meat?
According to experts, young beef is one of the most valuable meat products. You can’t call such a dish as beef chops a diet, because it is prepared using oil. But are we not going to feast on him several times a day? And on holiday you can treat yourself. And compared to no less tasty, but more fatty pork, beef is easier to digest. But here, of course, you need to try and choose the right meat.
Remember, the most delicious beef is bright red. Meat, whose color is close to brown, it is better not to take. This shade indicates a very respectable age of the animal, and therefore, of rigidity. And the taste of young beef is better.
If you have the opportunity to get fresh meat, the result will be even more beautiful. It has unsurpassed taste, delicate structure, as well as a subtle milky aroma. Going to the market or to the supermarket, look for whole pieces without veins and skin that can be cut into pieces a little smaller than a palm. Pay attention to the smell: it should be pleasant and natural.
Why and how to beat beef?
The name of the dish speaks for itself. With mechanical action, the meat lets juice out, it becomes softer. So, it easily absorbs salt and aromas of spices.
Before you cook juicy beef chops , you can simply knock a culinary hammer on both sides of the piece. But today there are many other devices from which hands are not so tired, and there will be less thunder from the neighbors.
But in case you didn’t have the right device at hand, you can use the usual rolling pin. Many housewives use a little secret when beating meat for chops: they wrap it in cling film. So juice and blood are not sprayed throughout the kitchen.
Pre pickling
This step is not required at all. But it can help make the taste of the dish more expressive. You can use red or white wine, soy sauce, a dry seasoning mix and anything your fantasy tells you. And before you cook beef chops in a frying pan, the recipe of which involves cooking in batter, you can simply leave them in that batter for a short time - it will soak the meat and will not drain from it.
If you are afraid that the beef will turn out to be harsh, put the beaten meat in a bowl and fill it with highly carbonated mineral water for an hour. It softens perfectly under the influence of released carbon dioxide.
Beef chops in batter
This recipe is perhaps the most common. For a pound of meat you will need the following:
- 2 eggs;
- 2.5 tbsp. l flour;
- 3 tbsp. l mayonnaise;
- salt, a mixture of peppers;
- onion juice (optional).
Cut the meat into slices about 8 mm thick and beat. Sprinkle with onion juice. Mix salt and peppers, grate the meat thoroughly. Lubricate with mayonnaise and leave for a while. Blossom the eggs with a fork, add flour. Beat the mixture is not worth it, otherwise it will stick poorly and drain. Dip in batter and saute the beef chops in a pan. The recipe can be supplemented with a small amount of sour cream added to mayonnaise - so your dish will turn out more tender. Fold the finished chops on paper towels in one layer, then the excess fat will go away.
Crispy Breaded Chops
This is a very tasty and beautiful dish. Beef chops in a pan, the recipe of which suggests the presence of a crisp, must be fried over high heat.
Many are disappointed in this dish, not knowing a little trick. If cooked incorrectly, crackers will fall off and begin to burn in oil. It will need to be changed often, and this will not save the situation. To prevent such an unpleasant embarrassment, proceed according to the following scheme:
- Thoroughly chopped pieces, roll in flour and clap palm on both sides to remove excess.
- Dip in the egg to completely cover the meat.
- Bread in breadcrumbs, then holding by the edge, slightly shaking.
Flour will provide reliable fixation of the egg, to which crackers stick. When roasting, a solid whole crust will form, the meat inside will be soft and steamed.
Juicy chops in a grill pan
If you have a pan with a corrugated surface, you can use this dish for this. Soft beef chops will also turn out to be very beautiful. For this recipe, cut the meat thicker, a little more than a centimeter. Gently repel, avoiding the complete fragmentation of the edges and the appearance of holes. The piece should just soften. By the way, for this method it is better to use a hammer with a smooth surface (or a baking rolling pin).
Grate meat with spices and fry in a grill pan on both sides. For a pound of beef, you will need 1.5 tsp. seasoning. By the way, you can safely use ready-made mixtures, for example, "Provencal herbs".
How to cook marbled beef in a pan
No wonder it is believed that this is the most delicious beef. In its raw form, it looks like a noble stone. Small layers of fat under the influence of temperature melt, filling the meat with delicious juice.
For a pound of meat you will need:
- large onion;
- salt, pepper, sugar - a pinch;
- olive oil - 4 tbsp. l .;
- white wine - 150 ml.
Beat meat cut into slices about a centimeter thick. Sprinkle with salt and seasonings, remember with your hands. Fry in oil until fully cooked and remove from pan, leaving oil. Chop the onion in half rings. By the way, shallot is especially good in this recipe - after all, it is more consistent with an exquisite variety of meat. You can use leek, its aroma is more interesting than that of ordinary onions.
When the onion is roasted to a golden hue, pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil and return the meat there. Cover for 1 minute.
Dry wines with a sour taste, such as Rkatsiteli, are ideal for this recipe.
Garnish and serve beef chops
What devices to apply to this gourmet dish? Even if you do not eat beef chops in a luxury restaurant, but at home, it is much more convenient to use a fork and a knife. Serve the table with these appliances.
Boiled rice, both white and brown, can be served as a side dish. Give preference to long-grain varieties. Classical mashed potato for festive Russian cuisine is also a great option. If you want something unusual, make mashed green peas. Beef chops and pasta are great. Many people like the combination with grilled vegetables. Complete the menu with homemade pickles, pickled mushrooms, olives. If the holiday fell on the harvest season, be sure to serve fresh vegetables in the form of sliced or salad. Do not forget about delicious bread.
Strong alcohol is traditionally served with red meat (cognac, vodka, port). Madeira Beef Chops and other dry and semi-dry red wines are excellent. Non-alcoholic drinks will not be superfluous on the table: cranberry juice, cherry and plum juices, mineral water.