Perkedel Daging (Meat & Potato Patties)

This entry is dedicated to my Indonesian roommates back in college, Mei and Nency. They were the ones who introduced me to this yummy Indonesian potato and meat patties called Perkedel. It might have been 5-6 years since I had some, I think….well at least homemade ones.

I think there are many versions of the Perkedel, based on personal preferences. Most commonly, ground beef is the meat used in the potato patties. When Mei made it for me, she used Luncheon Meat (Spam), and I just love it (she loves it too!). Luncheon meats are probably not the healthiest thing, but hey it’s yummy and plus I don’t eat it all the time! Luncheon meat reminds me of sausages…….in a square tin!

So, here’s my version of the Indonesian Perkedel Daging, inspired by my friend Mei. =)

MEAT & POTATO PATTIES (PERKEDEL DAGING) RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 2 Lbs Potatoes (I use Yukon Gold)
• 1 Can Luncheon Meat, Diced
• 1 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
• 3 Cloves Finely Chopped Garlic
• 2 Large Eggs, Separated
• 2-3 Stalk Scallions, Finely Chopped
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• Oil

Method:

Peel and boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain potatoes and smash it. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add luncheon meat, onion and garlic. Cook until the luncheon meat is slightly golden brown. Stir mixture occasionally so that the luncheon meat will not stick to the pan. Then transfer the cooked meat into the pot of smashed potatoes. Smash the luncheon meat mixture and potatoes together. Add in chopped scallions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add egg yolks to bind mixture together.

Shape the mixture into a ball, slightly large than a golf ball. Press the “ball” down to form a patty, about 3/4“ thick and about 2-1/4” across.Heat oil (about 1/2” deep) in a pan over medium heat. Coat each patty in egg white before frying them. Fry the first side till golden brown, and continue for the second side. Once that’s done, remove and drain off the excess oil on some paper towels before serving. Serve warm or room temperature with some chili or tomato sauce if you like!

June’s comments: To get an even size, I used a medium ice cream scoop to help me portion the patties. I ended up with about 20 potato patties. Don’t worry, hubby and I did not finish those patties up in one night. It’s part of dinner for about 3 nights (plus lunches for hubby). We ate it with rice, but feel free to serve it as an appetizer!