For His Master's Veneration: Salisbury Steak in Black & White

Here is the slave kitchen take on the fifties TV dinner, Salisbury Steak. It was part of childhood at my house. Pull this out of the oven, put it on a TV tray and sit to watch Star Trek or Get Smart, and maybe even the Dean Martin Show!

A great recipe for a main dish, a fantastic gravy, and the best way to cook green beans. Guaranteed to be better than anything spooned out of those little aluminum trays.

NBC's Steaks:

Ingredients:

1 pound 85% lean ground beef
1 bratwurst, split open and sausage removed
½ tsp each:

   garlic powder

   onion powder

   Paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
2 TBS ketchup
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 egg yolks, beaten
½ cup plain bread crumbs

For the Gravy:
2 Tbs salted butter
12 large white button Mushrooms
1 cup diced onion
1 pinch salt
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
3 cups high-quality, low-sodium beef broth
salt to taste
2 Tbs salted butter

Directions:

Cut open the bratwurst and split open, then combine with hamburger, black pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, egg yolks, and bread crumbs in a mixing bowl.

Use a fork or your hands to stir the ingredients until very evenly distributed.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to overnight.

SEE NOTE*

While the meat is resting, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick pan over high heat; add mushrooms, onions, and a pinch of salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, until very nicely browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add flour. Cook and stir for 3 minutes.

Stir in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth; increase heat to high. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens slightly and reduces, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Transfer to a glass measuring cup, scraping the pan clean with a spatula, and reserve.

Remove meat from the refrigerator and divide into 4 equal portions. Moisten hands and form into oval patties, about ½ inch thick. Season both sides of the patties lightly with salt.

Melt 2 Tbs butter in the previously used nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Pour in gravy and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until gravy is piping hot, and the meat is just cooked through and springs back lightly when touched, about 5 minutes.

CBS's Green Beans

Ingredients:

2 cans blue lake green beans, drained

2 slices bacon

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

½ tsp sugar

1 Tsp Grillmates (maple flavor)

Directions:

Drain the beans well and rinse in a colander.

Fry up the bacon until rendering grease and is as crispy as you like it.

Remove to paper towel to drain. Chop up.

In the pan with the grease add the drained green beans, the seasonings & sugar. Pour in the broth and add the bacon pieces.

Let simmer for 15 minutes.

ABC's Mashed potatoes:

Ingredients:

5 Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and peeled. Cut into pieces just over an inch in size.

½ cup non fat half & half

1/3 stick of butter

salt to taste

1 egg yolk

Directions:

Scrub off the potatoes, peel them and cut into pieces just over 1 inch in size.

Put into a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil for 15 to 20 minutes.

Check with the back of a fork against the side of the pot. If they are soft, they are ready.

Drain into a colander and return to the warm pot.

In microwave, heat the creamer and the butter until well melted (about 25 sec)

Using a masher, smash the potatoes until smooth. Add the warm creamer/butter in parts as you mash to get to the right consistency. Salt to taste.

Once everything is just right, stir in the beaten egg yolk at the last minute.

Suggestion:

Put together the hamburger mixture, cover and place in refrigerator first.

Then cook the green beans – they can be warmed in microwave just before serving.

You can do this with the potatoes but they are not as forgiving, so start them to boil before you start making the gravy. It really is not impossible to cook along side and do the mashing as the “steaks” are simmering in the gravy.