In 8 out of 10 restaurants in Croatia, you can order a Zagreb steak. This is one variation of the world-famous wiener schnitzel but with a “surprise” inside.
That surprise is ham and cheese. Does it now sound more like a Swiss-french dish called Cordon Bleu? Yes, we can say that Zagrebački Odrezak is a combination of these two dishes.
Usually, this steak is made with veal, but it’s also delicious if prepared with pork or even chicken or turkey breast.
We are talking about deep-fried meat filled with extra meat and gooey cheese…… that’s what I call comfort food.
There is also similar dishes in some other countries around Europe, for example in Serbia you can find “Karađorđeva šnicla,” rolled meat filled with ham, cheese and “kajmak,” panned and deep-fried, in Romania, there is “Romanian Şniţel,” lots of different names for almost the same thing.
Now, something interesting about the origins of deep-frying meat this way. Looking back in history, before frying was “invented,” the meat was decorated with a small amount of gold, but when the price of gold went up, a chef wanted to prepare the meat to be golden, but, obviously without the use of gold – so he deep-fried it, and the rest is history.
In Croatia, Zagreb steak is usually served with French fries or rizi bizi (rice with peas), one piece of lemon, and a fresh salad. Also, it is popular to serve it with tartar sauce – mayonnaise, diced gherkins, parsley, and capers.
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Zagrebački Odrezak Recipe (Zagreb Steak)
Here is how to make Zagrebački Odrezak. Deep fried meat filled with extra meat and gooey cheese from Zagreb, Croatia.
Ingredients
- 4 pork schnitzels (or meat of your choice)
- 8 slices of ham
- 8 slices of cheese
- 50 g breadcrumbs (7.5 tablespoons)
- 2 eggs
- 50 g all-purpose flour (1/3 cup)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- With a meat tenderizer, hammer your schnitzels thin, about 1/2 cm
- Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste
- On each piece of meat, place in the center, two slices of ham and two slices of cheese and fold the steak over so it covers the filling
- Roll the steak firstly in the flour, then in the beaten eggs and lastly roll in the breadcrumbs
- Fry them in a hot (though not too hot) oil for around 6-8 minutes on each side
- Serve it with salad, hot chips, capers, and sauce of your choice
Notes
Some advice before trying to make this fabulous dish:
- make the meat thin but not too thin
- fill it with quality ham and cheese
- be careful that the filling doesn’t extend beyond the meat
- fry it to be golden - don’t burn it
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Excellent food