A classic meal, not just in the United States, but in many other countries, is the hamburger. I am not referring to the minuscule hockey pucks sold at too many fast-food places. I am not referring to the one-inch-thick rounds of seasoned meat, dripping with juices, layered between a bun and topped with anything your heart desires. No, I am talking about an actual meal that consists of the hamburger as the star, served with a rich gravy, over rice, egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
In the USA, we know this meal as Salisbury Steak, but its origin is not here, or in any other English-speaking country, as the name might imply. The original hamburger steak with gravy originated in Hamburg, Germany. It was in the 1800s that immigrants from Germany brought this recipe to, not just America, but into England as well. At this time, during the Meiji Era, Japan finally opened its borders to foreigners. This opened up this region to cuisines from the USA, England, and India (Where do you think the Brits and Japanese got their love of curry from!”).
Back to Salisbury Steak which was named after Dr. James Henry Salisbury. He was a general physician, but had a great interest in gastrointestinal health, digestion and nutrition. During the Civil War, he noticed that the main diet of the soldiers was bread, a broth-like soup with some vegetables added, and fruit. That is if fresh fruit and vegetables were available. Dr. Salisbury deduced that even though the soldiers were eating, their bodies were actually starving from the lack of protein. By introducing some type of meat (he focused on beef and pork), thickening the broth with “hard tack” biscuits, and adding vegetables, a more nutritious meal could be served to the soldiers, both North and South.
Ah, now how did Salisbury Steak become a popular dish, for not just those dining in restaurants, but for the populace in general? Remember those German immigrants from Hamburg? Coming into the USA, their ships landed in New York City, home to many famous restaurants like Delmonico’s. Yes, you guessed it. The chefs of Delmonico’s came up with a fancified version of the Hamburg steak, but then took it to another level. Swiss Steak, which did not originate in Switzerland at all, is similar to the Hamburg steak recipe, but instead of ground meat, it uses actual steak that is tenderized by the” cubing” method. “Cubing”? The beef is pounded out and flattened to help tenderize cheaper cuts. If you have eaten country fried/chicken fried steak, then you have eaten cubed steak. Anyway, back to Delmonico’s who, with their innovative culinary techniques, were able to sell, to the rich and famous, dishes that any ordinary citizen could make as well.
After WW2, beef, in Japan, became more readily available and at a cheap price. Housewives, and restaurants, were able to take the Hamburg recipe and adjust it to Japanese tastes. However, when beef became a more “specialized” protein, the prices went up, and pork began finding its way into the mix. Since the 1960s, Japanese Hamburg Steak (Hambagu) contains
meat patties made from a mix of ground beef and pork, sautéed onions, garlic, eggs, panko bread crumbs, and milk. Seasonings added are salt, pepper, and soy sauce while the sauce is a mixture of Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and sake. Very similar to a homemade meat loaf recipe. This is served with the ever-present bowl of rice.
So, next time you are dining on Salisbury steak, Swiss steak, or a juicy gourmet hamburger with all the fixings, do not feel guilty as it was just what the doctor ordered.
Salisbury Steak
Ingredients:
5 lbs. lean ground beef
1 cup each diced mushrooms and onions
1 cup beef broth
1 ½ cups plain dried bread crumbs
2 tsp. each salt and ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. butter
2 large onions, slivered
Gravy:
3 Tbsp. flour
2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups milk
1 cup beef broth
1 (3/4 oz.) packet brown gravy mix
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together beef, mushrooms, onions, broth, bread crumbs and seasonings thoroughly. Use a 1 cup measuring cup to scoop out mixture and make oval shaped “steaks”; flatten down to 1” thick; place on spray pan. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients listed under “Gravy”.
In a large skillet, melt butter on medium-high heat; sauté onions until softened. Pour gravy over onions; mix and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Remove steaks, dabbing on paper towels to remove excess grease, and immerse into gravy-onion mixture. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve over buttered noodles, rice or potatoes.
Makes 10 servings.
Swiss Steak
Ingredients:
2 lbs. cubed steak
1 tsp. each garlic powder, ground black pepper
¼ tsp. sea salt
1/ 2 cup flour
1/3 cup canola oil or peanut oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 large onion, slivered
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
Preparation:
Season both sides of steak with garlic powder, pepper and salt; lightly dust with flour. Heat oil, on high, in a large skillet; lightly brown both sides of steak; set on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Spray a 4-5 qt crock pot with non-stick spray. Place steaks in pot with garlic, onion, bell pepper and mushrooms on top. Spread diced tomatoes evenly over vegetables; pour broth over tomatoes. Set on low; cook for 6-8 hours, until meat is very tender.
Serve over noodles or rice.
Makes 6 servings.
Japanese Hamburg Steak
If you are interested in the Japanese version, here is a link to a good recipe: https://norecipes.com/hamburg-steak-hambagu/
Mary Cokenour
