Seasonal Ontario Food

I love the name of this dish in German; it translates prosaically enough to chopped beef patties, and indeed it's a pretty simple meal although with a bit more class than your average hamburger patty. They are substantial enough that one each is plenty; since our beef comes in one-pound packages I put the mixture for the second set of two patties back in the fridge (well wrapped) and we cook them up the next day.

4 servings
30 minutes - 20 minutes prep

I did not cook all the patties at once; the next day I added some mushrooms to the pan.

1 large potato, boiled for 10 minutes
1 small onion
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
450 grams (1 pound) ground beef
1 egg
salt & pepper

1 cup broth, or water in a pinch
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Wash the potato, but leave it whole. Put it in a pot, covered with water and bring it to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain and let it cool as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This can also be done in advance.

Grate the potato - I don't peel it, but it does tend to peel itself somewhat, and I discard whatever peel comes off in my hands. Peel and mince the onion and garlic, and mix them with the grated potato, the beef, the egg and salt and pepper to taste.

Form the mixture into 4 equal patties, and brown them on both sides over medium-high heat. If you are using grass-fed beef, you will likely need to add a little oil to the pan. Reduce the heat a little, and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes more on each side, until the patties are cooked through.

Meanwhile, mix the broth with the cornstarch, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. When the patties are done, pour it around them. It will boil up and thicken within a minute. Serve at once.

If you want to add mushrooms, have them ready and add them to the pan shortly after the patties go in; give them the occasional stir as they cook.