Faschierte Laibchen

A typical specialty of Austrian cuisine, faschierte laibchen (lit. ground meat patty), is made with a combination of ground meat (typically a mixture of ground beef and ground pork), milk-soaked bread, eggs, fried onions, fried garlic, spices, and seasonings.

The ground meat mixture is often flavored with parsley, salt, pepper, and a handful of spices such as marjoram, thyme, caraway, and nutmeg. Some versions call for spicing up the patties by adding other ingredients such as mustard, lemon or orange zest, or paprika to the combination.

Once shaped, the patties are usually coated with breadcrumbs before they’re fried until nicely colored on both sides. In Austria, these fried meat patties are also known as fleischlaberl or fleischlaibchen, and they’re popular with children and adults alike.

The traditional way to enjoy this meat specialty is by accompanying the fried patties with Erdäpfelpüree (mashed potatoes) or Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) and green salad or vegetables.