Torticas de Carne (Colombian Beef Patties)
Ground beef mixed with onion, garlic, cumin and oregano, bound with an egg and fried as patties. Six servings in fifteen minutes, and there is no breadcrumb in them.
Servings: 6
Calories: 227kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg the only binder
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- A dash of cumin and oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Put the meat in a bowl.
- Finely chop the onion and the garlic and add them to the meat.
- Add the egg, the cumin, the oregano, salt and pepper, and mix it well with your hands until everything is evenly combined.
- Take portions of the mixture and shape them into patties with your hands, pressing them firmly so they hold together.
- Fry them in a skillet of hot oil, browning both sides until they are cooked through.
- Lift them out, drain them on paper towels and serve. They go with rice, salad or any sauce you like.
Notes
There is no breadcrumb in these and no flour. One egg binds a pound of beef, which is less than a burger recipe would use, so press the patties firmly when you shape them and handle them gently in the pan. They are more fragile than a burger and that is the trade: nothing dilutes the meat. Mix with your hands rather than a spoon. You can feel when the egg and the seasoning are evenly through the meat, and a spoon compacts it in patches. Do not overwork it either, since meat kneaded too long goes dense. Make them thinner than a burger patty. They cook through faster, which matters when there is raw egg in the mixture, and torticas are meant to be flat rather than thick.
Nutrition
Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg