When someone mentions Salisbury Steak, the first thing that always comes to my mind is a TV dinner. Not the frozen diet meals you find in the freezer aisle, but the early TV dinners baked in an oven and served in an aluminum tray. I didn’t eat a lot of TV dinners as a kid, and you will probably laugh, but I always thought they were kind of a treat. There was something fun about baking them in the oven, pulling back the foil and finding a divided tray of protein, veg and potatoes.
I have always liked Salisbury Steak, and while I identify it as the quintessential TV dinner (and comfort food thanks to the gravy), I was surprised it’s history goes back much farther than than the TV age. In fact, the Salisbury Steak (which is a cousin to the hamburger) dates back to the Civil War.
During the Civil War, soldier malnutrition was a reality. The low protein diets fed to the soldiers–by way of dried “soldier biscuits”–during the war often meant they were nutritionally famished. Malnutrition lead to disease and the wounded were unable to heal as quickly.
Side note: A few months ago I stumbled across a TV show where these two men eat “vintage” foods that have long expired. They would eat things like 1980s Fritos, canned foods from the 1960s, etc. One of the things they tried were Civil War soldier biscuits. The biscuits were the real deal, baked during the Civil War and they held up more than 150 years, so that shows you the nutritional value. Yikes!
Back to the Civil War: Seeing the opportunity to test a theory on the importance of animal fat and protein to a diet, a doctor by the name of James Henry Salisbury offered “chopped beef” to the soldiers. The theory was that the chopped nature of the meat would make it easier to digest than root vegetables and other proteins. He believed beef specifically would provide the protein needed to maintain health.
The humble Salisbury Steak has come a long way since the Civil War. Believe it or not, there are actually American standards that define what makes it a “Salisbury Steak” versus a hamburger. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a Salisbury Steak should be a mix of proteins with a minimum meat content of 65%. Pork can be one of the meats, but it can not exceed 25%. There are also requirements around how much binder (like bread crumbs) can be used. Who knew something so simple had such strict rules?!
In my house, the Salisbury Steak is a much simpler affair. I do use two meats–beef and poultry–and a small amount of toasted bread crumbs as a binder. I also swap the traditional brown gravy for a tomato-based wine sauce. I discovered this flavorful change many years ago–I think it was in Cooking Light magazine–and liked it so much that I’ve never looked back.
I like my Salisbury Steak with potatoes and a veg–blame it on my TV dinner nostalgia!–but you can serve it with pasta, rice, fries or anything else that sounds good. This recipe is simple, quick and flavor packed. It is sure to be a family favorite.
If you give it a try, leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.
Salisbury Steak with Red Wine Sauce
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes25
minutesThe Salisbury Steak has a long history that dates back to the American Civil War. Traditionally made with a combination of beef and pork, this version swaps the pork for ground poultry to lighten the dish. The traditional gravy is elevated thanks to the addition of red wine and tomato flavors. Salisbury Steak may be a humble comfort food, but these small changes make it just as great for entertaining.
Ingredients
1/2 pound 85/15 ground turkey or chicken
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup toasted bread crumbs
1/4 tsp dried French thyme
1 egg
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup water
3 tbs tomato paste
3 tbs red wine
1 1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 10.5 ounce can of condensed French Onion Soup
Directions
- Combine turkey, beef, breadcrumbs, thyme and egg white. Mix together, taking care not to over work and compress meat. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping into a 1/2″ thick oblong patty.
- Place olive oil in a skillet. Heat over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add patties. Cook until browned, 3 minutes. Turn over and continue to cook 3 minutes. Remove patties from skillet and place on a plate. The middle will still be raw.
- To the skillet, add water, tomato paste, wine, Worcestershire, pepper and soup. Stir together and bring to a boil.
- Once sauce is boiling, add patties back to pan. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.
- Uncover and cook until sauce has reduced to 3/4 cup, about 9-10 minutes.
- To serve, place meat on a plate. Cover with sauce. Enjoy.
