Easy Salisbury Steak Meal on a Budget

Two Versions of Salisbury Steak are Common. My favorite is with a plain beef patty and a sauteed vegetable gravy. This meal idea is offered in response to AC CP Bobby Ramsey's request for food-on-a-budget ideas as expressed in Eating Well on a Budget for the Single Person.

Salisbury Steak may have had its beginning as a high-protein diet through the courtesy of Dr. James H. Salisbury in the 1880s, but it is now a beloved American staple. Japan also has an ancient version of this dish. I wonder if Dr. Salisbury had traveled to Japan?

Dr. Salisbury's original "steak" recipe was very simple. He prescribed lean ground beef, pressed together, and broiled. He suggested it be served with butter (?) salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce and eaten three times a day (!!?).

The contemporary Salisbury Steak has two versions. One remains true to the original vision (though no one recommends eating it three times a day!). In this version, you make a patty that is half an inch thick, or so, cooked in a cast iron skillet over moderately high heat just to thoroughly brown it--it will still be very rare when you remove it.

Vegetables are then sauteed in the skillet and a gravy made that starts with a sprinkling of flour over the vegetables. The patties are returned to the skillet and simmered over low heat until done. There is a good recipe for this version on Huntingmag.com at http://www.huntingmag.com/cooks_shack/mama_0605/.

The second version is rather like making mini meatloaf patties. In this version, the vegetables are added to the ground beef along with oats or bread crumbs and maybe an egg. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed together by hand. This mixture is then arranged into individual patties and either put in a baking pan or into a cast iron skillet. A gravy is made using beef stock or bouillon cubes and then poured over the steaks. The whole mix is baked until done. Such a recipe can be found here: http://www.sextonranches.com/salisburysteak-b.html.

Personally, my preference is the first one. I like it when the steak stands alone and the vegetables are sauteed and made part of the gravy. This particular method can be simplified even further for someone on a budget so that Salisbury Steak becomes a hearty, nutritious, yet economical, money-stretching meal.

Depending on how far your budget can stretch, the vegetables you will want to saute are onion, garlic, and green and red peppers. Additionally, thinly sliced cabbage sauteed with sliced carrot and onion can be served as a side. Let your budget dictate how many and which vegetables you saute for the gravy but don't neglect a hearty side of vegetables. Vegetables are good for your health.

Prepare your vegetables, both the ones for the gravy saute and for your side dish. Set them aside. Begin cooking some rice, preferably one of the brown varieties, according to the package directions.

Make your beef patty while being sure to knead the beef firmly together. French cuisine cook Jepthah Hardison says that kneading the ground beef is critical because this process warms the fats that then hold the patty together and it releases the flavors.

When the patty is seared and browned in a cast iron skillet, but still rare, set it aside. Saute your vegetables in the same skillet (and, please, don't use non-stick and thereby add to your chemical body burden). Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of flour, corn starch, or corn meal, stir around until thoroughly mixed with the vegetables. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of heated beef broth or water--and never use hot tap water. Keep stirring or it will all stick and lump.

Stir for 1 to 2 minutes after the gravy reaches boiling. Add the patties back in, cover and simmer on low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. While that is simmering, saute your side vegetables of cabbage, onion, and carrot slices, remembering to add salt, pepper and Spike to taste.

A note about the gravy: I prefer cornmeal over flour or cornstarch as a thickener for someone on a budget because not only can you get it at a health food store for around $1.52, it has the widest range of nutrients and is the most satisfying. Granted, it does not have the smooth texture of the other two, but maybe on a budget, that's not that bad of a thing....

When your Salisbury Steak (or steaks) is done, serve it with the rice and vegetable dish and cover it with some of your yummy gravy. That is a hearty, healthy and really pretty simple dish that is definitely economical. Remember to eat your vegetables.

Yummy extra recipe sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_steak Southern: gravy and grilled onions.

http://www.vitapro.com/salisbury_steak.htm Half vegetarian beef-product, half beef.

http://www.sextonranches.com/salisburysteak-b.html Meatloaf-style Salisbury recipe.

http://www.foodreference.com/frvideos/html/kid-cook-videos.html Videos of more easy dishes designed with beginning cooks in mind.