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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Salisbury Steak with Caramelized Onion Gravy



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Salisbury Steak is one of the retro foods that has made a comeback in American kitchens. It was named for James Salisbury, a 19th-century physician, who prescribed it for battlefield patients who, in addition to their wounds, were suffering from digestive problems. His diet recommended serving chopped beef patties three times a day, and the oval-shaped patties, informally dubbed the poor man's steak, came to bear his name. In its purest form, the steak consists only of seasoned beef. However, frugal depression housewives and those cooking in the meat-rationed kitchens of WWII began to add extenders to the chopped beef in order to feed more people. I am no stranger to Salisbury Steak. It was a regular feature on my Mother's table and I made it in the early days of our marriage when then was more love than money. Versions of the steak that are currently popular use wine and mushrooms in the sauce that is served with the steak. The original versions of the recipes did not, for obvious reasons. A budget meal does not lend itself to auxiliary ingredients that cost more than its main components. The newer versions are delicious and I can heartily recommend them. I want, however, to share with you a really old-fashioned version of the steak. Here's the recipe.

Salisbury Steak with Caramelized Onion Gravy...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Onion Gravy
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
Meat Patties
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
1) To make gravy: Heat butter in a large sauté pan. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat, until onions start to brown, stirring occasionally. When onions are slightly softened and turning a deep honey brown, add 1/4 cup broth. Reduce heat, cover and continue cooking, adding more broth as needed to prevent caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan from burning. It should take at least 25 to 30 minutes to properly caramelize onions. Stir in flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce by half. Stir in remaining beef broth and tomato paste. Stir in cider vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
2) To make patties: Mix ground beef, rice, egg yolk, salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and thyme in a bowl. Shape into 4 oval patties about 3/4-inch thick. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Sear patties about 3 minutes per side, or until a brown crust forms. Pour gravy over patties and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm with mashed potatoes or noodles. Yield: 4 Servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Ground Beef Stroganoff - Real Mom Kitchen
Easy Ground Beef Dinners: Holiday Time Savers - Are You Hungry?
Red Bean Chili - The Red Spoon
Stuffed Cabbage - Living the Gourmet
Meatballs with Gravy - Seasalt with Food
Shepherd's Pie - Annie Bakes

83 comments:

  1. Mouthwatering steaks, love that caramelised onion gravy, very tempting..

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  2. I love caramalized onion with steaks and u have combined them well , jus the perfect gravy for these steaks!!
    I too make gravy with wine for steaks and i love making different gravies to go with it!!
    Ur pics looks so real and delicious!
    happy hols Mary!!

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  3. I first tried caramelized onions when I was studying in the States and from then on they became a favorite of mine. These steaks look very juicy and the gravy above them makes them irresistible.

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  4. My one and only experience of Salisbury Steak was when I was working as a Camp Counsellor in York, PA. It is not a memory I look back on with fondness as I am sure you can imagine lol. These, on the other hand, look very tasty, especially with the Onion Gravy!

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  5. This sounds really yummy. Diane

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  6. Gosh, what an outstanding dish.
    Absolutely mouthwatering ♥

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  7. I always used to order the Salisbury Steak dinner at my dad's restaurant and you've made me want it again!

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  8. what a delicious blog! here is so many uncanny inspirations!

    have a nice time,
    Paula

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  9. Mary, oh Mary why do you torture so!! I love onions and in a gravy, it certainly is delicious!!

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  10. I almost always had the salisbury steak when visiting a local cafeteria as a child. In fact, when going through recipes the other day for our table, I thought I should do my salisbury steak and share it with my blogging friends-you know what they say about "great minds..."!

    Again, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  11. This recipe is fantastic, I love old fashioned recipe....to me it means tradition, family history.... and Home!!!
    The onion gravy is deliciuos... thank and happy Thanksgiving to you, your family anf friends.... hugs, ciao Flavia

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  12. Heh Mary how did you know this is my favorite dish? My dad called me the hamburgler before McD's used that name! I love LOVE this dish growing up and still look forward to making with with my son when we visit together!

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  13. Oh that looked good! I especially love the onion gravy! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Mary:D

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  14. I'm sending my husband to your house. He would love this, and he would think he had died and gone to heaven.

    Just stopping by to wish you and your family a happy and blessed Thanksgiving holiday.

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  15. Another winner. We haven't had salisbury steak in a while...think we may have to have it over the weekend.

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  16. Yummy!! I have some meat to use and was looking for something new to try so can't wait to try these!!

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  17. This sounds delicious. I remember Salisbury Steak growing up, but I'm not sure it ever looked this good! Fascinating history!

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  18. Oh those look so good! I love caramelized onions! I haven't had salisbury steak since I was younger...and this looks far better then those ever did!! YUM!

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  19. I cannot remember the last time I made Salisbury steak, but now it will likely be soon. ;)

    Mary, Happy Thanksgiving to you and the Silver fox. Many blessings to you!

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  20. This look absolutely delicious dear Mary, I whish you a really happy and nice Thanksgiving! huggs gloria

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  21. I grew up eating Salisbury Steak, we called it Swanson meals....
    I've made it myself and adore it, but it has fallen off my repertoire. I need to add it back. How can you go wrong with gravy?

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  22. This looks fantastic-I used to make this dish, but only with plain brown gravy. I really like your addition of caramelized onions. Also enjoyed the history behind the dish.
    Hope your family has a wonderful Thanksgiving Mary!

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  23. Looks amazing,very very tempting dish

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  24. I've only ever eaten salisbury steak as part of a TV dinner (my parents didn't cook much when I was growing up).

    Your version actually looks tasty. I can't wait to try it.

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  25. Wow, you got me hankering for some sallisbury steak now and I haven't had one since a TV dinner in the early 90s. Very interesting about the history too! Three a day?!

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  26. I too grew up having Salisbury steak regularly. Thank you for the retro reminder of it. I've bookmarked it for a meal very soon. Will report back! Have a wonderful holiday.

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  27. Mary these just look too delicious. Yum. Have a great thanksgiving tomorrow. Michael.

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  28. This looks wonderful and my mouth is watering!! I enjoyed your history of this!! It strikes me as ironic that the doctor prescribed this for digestive problems, as red meat takes the longest time to digest of any food, and requires the most work!! Guess they didn't know that back then, and were thinking of the iron and protein!!

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  29. I just love Salisbury steaks, and yours look fantastic!

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  30. This looks so good! I especially love the caramelized onion gravy. Happy Thanksgiving Mary!

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  31. Happy Thanksgiving. You will always be among my favorite bloggers...

    .cook up a storm!

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  32. Great salisbury steak recipe, love it, looks so comforting.

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  33. I like eating that kind of meal, it remerbers me of my childhood!

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  34. Your Salisbury steaks look delicious! These patties are a great addition to the lunchbox.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

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  35. Your salisbury steak looks utterly mouthwatering. Wonderful job. I have never made my own, but now I want to!

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  36. I have wonderful memories of sitting at my grandmother's table enjoying this delicious meal. Thanks for bringing back some nice memories, Mary.

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  37. Got to be one of my favorites.....comfort food at its best!
    Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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  38. Thank you for leaving the lovely comment on my blog. Cannot wait to see what fantastic recipes you post next. Your pictures are beautiful. Wishing you a warm holiday.
    Brenda

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  39. Oh yes, this is indeed a very mouth-watering steak. I like it!

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  40. I have never made Salisbury steak but this looks an incredibly great dish! I will have to try it! And I love the food history! Happy Thanksgiving!

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  41. A dish from my youth. Love th gravy so much I could spoon-feedmyself that and skip the steak!

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  42. See, I love the history you add with the recipes! I thought I was the only person in the world that loved Salisbury steak. Glad I'm not!

    Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  43. So yummy looking. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
    hugs ~lynne~

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  44. This might sound strange, but I can remember loving the Swanson Salisbury Steak TV dinners when I was a kid. I have been searching for a good recipe, and I know that if you posted it-- it's a winner. Bookmarked!
    Wishing you a Blessed Thanksgiving.

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  45. One of my favorites indeed! Happy Thanksgiving Mary!!

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  46. These look amazing. Probably the best salisbury steaks ever.Thanks!

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  47. I have not thought of making these FOREVER, Mary. I LOVED them as a child. Your photos are stunning and I am copying your recipe, now. Feedburner is what many use (it is free) to enable people like me to get your posts by mail. I hope you consider it. You have a gold mine here that I want to get through, eventually.
    XO
    Valerie

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  48. Oh my Mary- this looks so good. I have been wanting to make salisbury steaks for a while now. I will try your recipe Mary.

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  49. I love the steak! Looks so good and delicious. I want to try some!

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  50. Can this be made ahead and frozen?

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  51. Sarah, I do not recommend freezing these. You could try but I've found they get very dry and lose their initial appeal. Sorry. Have a good day. Blessings...Mary

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  52. I made these tonight and they were very good! My only changes were to add a bay leaf, some dry ground mustard, some hot pepper, and a pinch of sugar to the sauce and to use fresh thyme in the patties. Thanks for sharing!

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  53. I made this for supper tonight and this gravy will be my new favorite.....EVER! So good and so satisfying! Thanks for sharing!

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  54. Found this recipe via Pinterest. My husband is a picky eater and does not like onions and snuck some on his plate and he loved this salisbury steak! I have never made it myself but it was very easy! Tasty and amazing recipe! Thank you!

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  55. Is the rice used to bind the meet together? Can I substitute with bread crumbs? I am not able to eat rice...

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  56. Heather, the rice was originally used as an extender. You can use crumbs but the patties won't have the same texture. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  57. I made these last night and they were a HUGE hit! They tasted just like the salisbury steaks I used to eat as a child, and my husband loved them :) Thanks!

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  58. Egg yolk? Is that right? I've made other dishes with egg whites but never yolk. Just want to be sure. Was planning on using your recipe tonight. Thanks!

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  59. Ruby, the yolk is correct. A whole egg would add too much liquid to the meat mixture.Mary

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  60. This was incredible! I had burgers but no rolls so I made a gravy to go over them. I had a yellow onion instead of red and I used a really nice Montepulciano red wine. I halved the recipe and it worked perfectly. The gravy was out of this world! Thank you!

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  61. This has to be the BEST recipe I've come upon in a long time. Super delicious and my picky family absolutely loved every mouthful.

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  62. I was reading New York Foodie and she recreated your recipe here...It has really inspired me to take a crack at it myself. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Velva

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  63. I have made this 3 times already, and every one in my family absolutely loves it! The gravy is now my husband's MUST on mashed potatoes, whether I'm making the salisbury steaks or not! It's easy, economical and just out of this world delicious. I do use yellow onions and white wine, and it's wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing this :)

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  64. Made these and they were amazing! Mine didn't look as perfect but tasted great! Definitely making again want to try adding mushrooms to gravy next time! Thanks for this one!:)

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  65. I am making this for dinner tonight. I love recipes that require "proper" ingredients rather than cans of this and that (usually high in fat, salt and sugar!).
    I have made quite a few of your recipes now and always with good results.
    One thing I wondered - would you consider adding a "print" button?

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  66. Lynne, there is a "print friendly" at the very bottom of the post.

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  68. Made this tonight using venison... amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!

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  69. Oh Mary, this is a work of art. I know I have seen it before but every time I look at it I am blown away about how appetizing it looks.

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  70. Just a reminder that I do not publish anonymous comments. To the person who asked about wine reduction - when the wine is added to the pan it is boiled until it is reduced to half the original amount. Reduction is a commonly used technique to add flavor to a sauce.

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  71. This is such comfort food Mary with the caramelized onions.

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  72. I've made these several times now. They are absolutely fantastic. Thank you!

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  73. I was wondering if I could use cauliflower instead of rice in the patties? Love this recipe but am trying to tweak it to be grain free. Thanks!

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  74. Joy, that might work, but I n't speak with authority because I've never tried it.

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  75. had these last night with mashies , and green beans , yum yum.....
    onshin.....

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  76. Love the recipe. tried it once and it turned out fantastic. My family loved it.

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  77. I prepared this for our Sunday dinner, and it was delicious. I doubled the recipe, and I added fresh sliced mushrooms to the gravy. I did have quite a time making the patties. I wonder if my 90% lean grind was too lean.

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  78. Made these tonight. They were quite good. I do have a couple of comments. I would reduce the rice a bit. I found the patties fell apart a bit during cooking because of the rice. I found the gravy a bit watery and bland, so I added another tsp of vinegar and an additional 1/2 tbsp of tomato paste. I also cooked it down quite a bit to thicken it and intensify the flavour. That worked well. I did not have the wine to add, so that may have made a difference to the flavour. Overall, we liked it in the end and I would make it again (next time with wine).

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  79. OMG! I made this recipe and we LOVED it! I never made carmelized onion gravy before, because I never heard of it, and I'm 70 years old! I served it with mashed potatoes and my hubby couldn't get enough! Also, for those with digestive issues, most meat gravies are taboo, but this onion gravy didn't cause any problems. :-)

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  80. This sounds really good. But I cant use any Red wine , what could I use instead?

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