Quick and Easy Salisbury Steak

Salisbury steak is, for lack of a better description, decidedly old school. It’s right up there with the recipe for “emergency steak” that appears in the original Betty Crocker Cookbook. (No, I didn’t make that up – look it up!) These recipes hail from a simpler time, and as one might expect, make use of simple ingredients. They may also remind you of the TV dinners your mom plopped in front of you as a child during the 1960s. In this case, ground beef, onions and mushrooms come together to make a savory, comforting – yet still quick, easy and simple – dinner.You start by combining just a few ingredients with the ground beef and shape them into patties. I made the mistake of using 1/3 pound of ground beef per patty, but you can can easily fill up with less, so I’d recommend 4 patties out of this recipe. They sear in a hot skillet over high heat for just a couple of minutes per side to brown up nicely.Then the onions and mushrooms are sautéed together (saving time) in the pan from the meat. When they are caramelized, the gravy is made right in the pan with the vegetables, and the meat is nestled back into the gravy to simmer for a little bit longer.Now isn’t that easy? Just one pan, just a few ingredients, ready in 30 minutes. One bite and you’ll be reliving those TV dinners from your childhood, only the entree is going to taste a whole lot better when homemade with fresh ingredients, I promise!

Slice a piece of the onion and mince to yield about 2 tablespoons of minced onion. Slice the remaining part of the onion and set aside.

Combine the minced onion with the beef, egg, oat flour, seasonings, salt and Worcestershire in a medium bowl and gently mix well, but do not overwork the meat. Shape into 4 oval patties

Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the oil. Sear the patties for 2-3 minutes per side to develop a nicely browned exterior, then remove to rest on a platter. Drain off excess fat but do not wipe the skillet clean. Add the butter and let it melt, then add the sliced onions and the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are nicely browned and the onions are soft, about 5-10 minutes, reducing heat if they are browning too quickly.

Stir the flour into the vegetables and cook for a minute, then slowly whisk in the stock and bring to a boil to thicken, stirring constantly. Season with additional salt if desired, then nestle the semi-cooked patties into the gravy, spoon some on top of each patty, cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 10 minutes more. Serve with chopped fresh parsley for garnish if desired.