I have a small obsession with the Pioneer Woman's website, and I came across her recipe for Salisbury steak. Once I realized that Salisbury steak is really just a thin hamburger, I was sold on making it. I am also trying to bulk up my comfort food repertoire, so I thought this recipe would be a good start.
A couple of tips:
1) Make sure you use 80/20 beef. You'll probably be tempted to buy the lowest fat beef you can find, but you want that extra fat so that your steaks stay moist and so that you have the extra fat for your gravy.
2) When you make your steaks, I recommend making a few larger, thinner steaks versus thicker (hamburger-like) steaks. I made mine more like hamburgers and I think they would taste better if they were thinner.
3) Make sure your heat is not too high when you cook the steaks. I had my burner at medium-high and I think it over cooked the outsides of the steaks. I would probably reduce the heat to medium next time to preserve the outside.
4) Definitely include the slurry (cornstarch and water) when you make the gravy...it will thicken it nicely and take less time than waiting for the gravy to reduce on its own.
Ok, enough tips...here's the recipe, adapted from the Pioneer Woman's website.
Salisbury Steak
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ingredients
- MEAT MIXTURE
- 1-1/2 pound Lean Ground Beef
- 1/2 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
- 1 cube Beef Bouillon, Crumbed (or Powdered Beef Base)
- 4 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Ketchup
- Salt And Pepper
- GRAVY INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole Onion, Halved And Thinly Sliced (or Diced If You Prefer)
- 6 oz. sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 4 dashes Worcestershire (additional)
- 1 Tablespoon Ketchup (additional)
- 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Corn Starch Mixed With A Little Beef Broth To Make A Thin Paste
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- More Broth If Needed For Thinning
- Mashed Potatoes, For Serving
- Buttered Peas, For Serving
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, For Frying
- 1 Tablespoon Butter, For Frying
Preparation Instructions
Combine all the ingredients for the meat mixture and knead until all combined. Form into 4 to 6 oval patties, then make lines across the patties to give them a "steak" appearance.
Fry in a skillet with oil and butter over medium-high heat on both sides until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from the pan and pour off excess grease.
Reduce the heat to medium and add in the sliced onions and mushrooms. Stir and cook for several minutes, or until the onions are golden brown and somewhat soft. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire, and ketchup. Stir and cook to reduce.
OPTIONAL: Add Kitchen Bouquet, which will give the gravy a deeper color and a bit more flavor.
OPTIONAL: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch/broth mixture to give the gravy a little gloss and to thicken it up a bit without lightening it (as flour would.)
**Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and more broth if needed for thinning.
Return the steaks to the gravy. Spoon gravy over the top and let them simmer and heat back up for a couple of minutes.
Serve with mashed potatoes and peas!
**NOTE: If you omit the Kitchen Bouquet, no problem. If you omit the cornstarch/broth mixture, just cook the liquid a little longer in order to reduce and thicken it a bit.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ingredients:
- 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 3/4 cups Butter
- 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
- 1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Peppe
Preparation Instructions
Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.
Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.
Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.
Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.
Buttered Peas
I just bought some frozen peas and heated them on the stove to go with this meal. I added some salt to the boiling water and a pat of butter to give some flavor. You could really serve any green veggie with this dish, but I like the peas mixed with the mashed potatoes.
By the way, did I mention that this recipe is not low fat? Please savor every bite, don't worry about the calories. This meal will make you feel all the comforts of home.
