Russian Cutlets (Like Meatballs, but Crispy)

Russian Cutlets (Like Meatballs, but Crispy)
Serves 6-8
90g of crustless white bread in small cubes (10%)
144g kefir or buttermilk or yogurt or milk (16%)
126g yellow onion, coarsely chopped (14%)
54g peeled celery, coarsely chopped (6%)
3 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
27g parsley and/or dill leaves (3%)
45g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (5%)
900g (2 Lb) meatloaf mix of beef, pork, and veal (100%)
13g salt (1.44%)
Black pepper to taste
Panko breadcrumbs as needed for coating
Oil for pan frying as needed (use a tasteless oil with a high smoke point like canola or grapeseed)
In a large bowl, soak the bread in kefir while preparing the other ingredients. Pulse the onions, celery, garlic, and parsley in a food processor, scraping down frequently until finely minced. Add the bread and butter and pulse until minced into small pieces (it’s ok to have a few pieces of butter the size of peas). Move this mixture back into the large bowl you used to soak the bread and add the meat, salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands to distribute the veggies evenly throughout the meat. Then mix well until homogeneous. This mixture can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the fridge. If it looks wet after refrigeration, remix to reincorporate the juice.
Shape into 90-100g patties. Coat in panko pressing firmly to make the patties that are about ⅔ inch (1.7cm) thick. With the breadcrumbs they might look more like ¾ inch (2cm) thick. Set a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to just coat the bottom (about 2 Tbsp for a 12 inch skillet). When the oil is hot, arrange the cutlets in a single layer in the skillet and cook about 3 min per side, regulating the heat so that they don’t burn. Take them off the heat at 155F (68C). If they are completely brown, but not cooked through, low the heat to low and keep cooking them flipping every minute. Let rest for 5 min and serve immediately. Only fry what you can serve immediately since they don’t rewarm well.
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