The Perfect "meat~n~ potatoes" Sandwich

~Persian Kotlet Sandwich~

Which came first? The Persian Kotlet made with ground beef and grated potatoes or the Polish Kotlet made with pork that has been pounded thin then dredged in seasoned flour? 

I'm not exactly sure and I really don't care.   I do know this, Persian Kotlet was the staple "go-to" sandwich when we'd go on picnics and road trips growing up.  

I was feeling nostalgic the other day.  Reminiscing my move to Arizona after college.  Leaving behind my childhood and early adulthood in Arkansas, all for a new beginning.  I will never forget the long road trip ahead of me: My little black Civic packed to the brim of some of my belongings, my dad driving--eager to get on the road, as he loves road trips and myself feeling bittersweet about this big change as I wave good-bye to my mom early in the morning.

We had close to 2 full days ahead of us with plans of only stopping for gas.  The night before my mom prepared our lunch/dinner to last us the two days we would be on the road.  Persian Kotlet was on the menu for our road trip.  I laugh as I type this because I remember sitting in the passenger side making my dad a sandwich and hoping not to spill anything in my new car--I somehow maneuvered stuffing the pita with a kotlet, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, parsley, spicy pickles and squeezing lime juice all while my dad was driving.  

I can now put "sandwich maker in a moving car" on my resume--it takes some serious skills to make a sandwich in a car.

By the second day, we were pretty bored with eating the same sandwich, but we had a long day ahead of us and we did not want to stop for food.  We were out of vegetables by the second day so I improvised by using ketchup packets my mom had put in the cooler.  It definitely lacked the vegetables, but it was still tasty with ketchup.  By the time we got to Flagstaff, AZ from New Mexico, we treated our selves to a little quant restaurant and joked how we will NOT be eating kotlet for months to come.

Well, I have had my fair share of this delicious picnic/potluck/road trip sandwich, although I have never made it.  So when I called my sister Mahsa for the recipe, (She has my mom's recipe), I was very excited to make it.  I almost felt like I should go into my little black Civic and eat it like I had with my dad.

This recipe is our family recipe.  Some Persian families cook the potatoes first, run it through a rice mill and then mix it with the ground beef before pan frying.  We grate the potato raw, mix it with the ground beef and then pan fry.  It literally comes out looking and tasting like hash browns, but with meat in it.  Crispy on the outside and soft inside.

Also, the meat to potato ratio is 1:1, however, I like the way my sister uses more potato and just a little bit of meat. This recipe is more like a 5:1.

~Persian Kotlet~

makes 24

5 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and grated

1 pound of organic ground beef

1 medium onion, grated

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons turmeric

1/4 canola oil

S/P

Grate the potatoes in a food processor with the grater attachment.  Place the potatoes in a big bowl.
Work fast as the potatoes will oxidize on you.  I squeezed (1) whole lime and tossed it to buy me some time.  You will notice that the potatoes will give out some water.  Working in batches, place some of the grated potato in a cheese cloth or kitchen towel and wring out until most of the water is drained.  Continue doing so for the entire batch

In a separate bowl mix the beef with the egg, turmeric and s/p.

Once the potatoes have all been drained of their liquid, add the grated onion to the mix with s/p.  Then add the seasoned beef to the grated potato and onion mixture.  Since there is more potato than beef, it will take a while to mix by hand, but it will all get incorporated.
Then form into oval shaped patties--this part is important that it is oval and not round.  Place them on a sheet tray. About 8 will fit on the sheet tray, cover with plastic wrap, and continue piling on top of each other--they won't stick since you are covering each layer with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least an hour to set.
Prepare a medium sized skillet filled with 1/4 cup oil and heat on medium high

Gently place the kotlet in the pan.  You may need to use a splatter guard to prevent getting splashed with oil--I still got splashed though.

Pan fry until golden on both sides. I flipped the kotlets 2-3 times during the pan-frying process to get an even golden color to them.

Drain them on a rack over paper towels and a sheet pan.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt just when you take them out while they are still hot.

Assemble the kotlet in a pita pocket or your favorite bread.  I topped mine with diced, onions, tomatoes, chopped parsley/cilantro, pickles and squeezed lots of lime on it.

Enjoy!  

I know I did and I didn't have to worry about getting my car dirty this time.