-Salisbury Steak -

A consensus of opinion dictates that this dish was not invented in, nor was it even named after the famous southern-English town where the ancient, Celtic ruins of Stonehenge are located. Many believe that it was, in fact, named after J. H. Salisbury, a 19th-century physician who recommended that his patients eat plenty of beef to help treat every sort of illness. But there seem to be just as many out there who say that it was actually created in 1898 by a famous English artist and portrait painter named Frank O. Salisbury who also advocated that eating lots of beef helped with physical problems. What we do know for certain is that, during World War I, when all things German were given anglicized names in Great Britain, hamburger steak (as in Hamburg, Germany) was renamed "Salisbury steak." It is widely enjoyed throughout the United Kingdom today, though there are reportedly some restaurants in Salisbury, England who have never even heard of it before!

Ingredients:

2, 10½-oz. cans (or 2, 12-oz. jars) of any commercial brand mushroom gravy
1 lb. ground sirloin or the leanest variety of ground beef you can find
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbs. dehydrated, chopped onion bits (rehydrated in 2 Tbs. water) or ¼ of a small (about 3 oz.) onion, very finely minced
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground, black pepper

Preparation:

Mix ¼ cup or less of the canned gravy with the beef, bread crumbs, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and egg thoroughly together in a large mixing bowl. Don't add so much gravy that the mixture becomes sloppy - you want it to adhere together rather firmly, so just add gravy, little by little, to the meat to the point where the mixture is still firm (you probably won't need a whole fourth of a cup)! Shape the mixture firmly into four equal, oval patties about ¾" to 1" thick.

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, heat 1 to 2 Tbs. of any oil you like and brown the patties in it.

Pour off any fat and add the remaining gravy. Heat to a boil, then cover and cook on low heat 10 to 15 minutes.

I love serving this with seasoned mashed potatoes and green beans. Makes two hearty servings (or four regular ones). Yum!

Notes:
I use egg substitute (Egg Beaters), and it works great. Commercially-made seasoned bread crumbs work quite nicely with this recipe.


King Henry VIII
1491 - 1547


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