 |
Food Like Mama Used to Make
An old favorite gets a game-meat update--with wine.
By Cheri Eby--Author of Cooking on Location
Cheri Eby
|
Where have all the chicken fried steaks drenched in rich, creamy gravy gone? For that matter, what about the pot pies and the pot roasts, the patty melts and the meatloafs? Replaced by spongy rice curds molded into lame facsimiles of our old favorites, that's where. Every place tofu turns up on the menu, you can bet a hearty meal from the past is thumbing a ride for a joint where grease on the window sill is a welcome sign.
One of my all-time old-school favorites is Salisbury steak, a beef patty that is broiled or fried with onions and served with gravy and mashed potatoes. My mother used to make this once every few weeks when I was growing up. Fortunately, ground meat from most hoofed game animals works well in this dish, making it a versatile and easy home meal.
For this recipe I've used a wine sauce, which adds a thick, savory flavor.
Serves 4
1 1/2 lbs. ground game meat
2 eggs
1 c. bread crumbs
3 tbls. butter
1 tbls. olive oil
1 onion peeled and sliced into quarter-inch rings
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into quarter-inch strips
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. flour
1/4 c. dry red wine
1 can beef broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Combine the ground meat, eggs and bread crumbs and mix well. Shape into four oblong patties. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan and brown both sides of the patties. Remove the patties to a plate and cover to keep warm. If needed, add a little more oil to the pan before dropping in the onion and green peppers. Sauté the vegetables until they are close to being done then sprinkle in the salt, pepper and thyme, mixing well. Sprinkle in the flour making sure all the vegetables are coated. Slowly add in the beef broth, then the wine, stirring all the time. Lower the heat and stir in the Worcestershire.
Return the burgers to the pan, cover and simmer in the sauce for about 20 minutes. Serve with green beans and potato pancakes or mashed potatoes. A salad with sliced tomatoes, olives and mozzarella cheese dressed with balsamic vinegar goes very well with this meal.
CAMPFIRE CONVERSATION
Dr. James H. Salisbury, a 19th century nutritionist, concocted the Salisbury steak to further his belief that vegetables and starchy foods were bad for you. For optimal health, he recommended that people eat his steaks three times a day and drink lots of hot water.
During World War II, when patriotic Americans objected to the German term "hamburger," savvy restaurant owners changed their burgers into Salisbury steaks, if in name only. --CE
|
| |
