10 COOK’S COUNTRY • APRIL/MAY 2019
Illustration:^ Ross^ MacDonaldTHE CLASSIC “HAMBURG steak”
first arrived stateside with German
immigrants in the 19th century. This
beef patty served with a rich gravy was
a staple in German American homes for
those who could afford meat regu-
larly. For those who couldn’t, it was a
special-occasion supper.
But hamburger steak has devolved
over the years into little more than a
dense, dry burger without a bun. It
should be laced with flavor throughout
and doused with a buttery brown gravy
like it is at Aunt B’s Soul Food in Tupelo,
Mississippi (see “Don’t Call It a Burger”).
Generally, it is not. I set out to restore
some glory.
Don’t confuse hamburger steak with
Salisbury steak. Whereas Salisbury steak’s
gravy is distinctly peppery and heavy with
mushrooms, the gravy served with ham-
burger steak leans on onions and garlic.
These additions contribute just enough
flavor for a bold, slightly sweet personal-
ity. But this restrained ingredient list can
also be a quick trip to Dullsville.
My first experiments with existing
recipes were a lesson in disappointment,
turning out patties that were dry, tough,
and drastically underseasoned.
To tackle the dryness, I introduced
a panade, a mixture of bread crumbs
and liquid that’s often incorporated into
meatballs and meatloaf to help them
retain moisture. Adding a panade made
with fresh bread crumbs did just that, but
it also gave my patties a gummy texture.
I ditched the panade in favor of straight
bread crumbs, in this case crunchy
panko. These light, flaky bits didn’t need
a soak before being added to the beef,
and they softened just enough as the
beef cooked, soaking up all the liquid
the meat released (and keeping it from
seeping out).
The patties now had great texture but
were lacking in flavor. Instead of cooking
fresh garlic and onion, I simply added
granulated garlic, onion powder, and
seasoned salt. Taking the convenience
theme one step further, a colleague sug-
gested replacing those ingredients with
something her mom had used to make
this dish in the 1980s: onion soup mix.
It worked—the potent mix seasoned the
meat throughout and added a complex
oniony flavor.
Gravy time. A pan gravy, generally
made while the meat is resting, requires
some fond left in the skillet, so a hard
sear was the way to go. Searing the
patties for 4 minutes per side gave them
great color and created a lovely fond.
To that I added sliced onion to cook for
about 4 minutes until softened, followed
by flour, which took about 1 minute to
lightly brown. Finally, I stirred in some
beef broth.
The steaks were done, but the gravy
was too thin—nothing that a vigorous
bubble, about 4 minutes, and a bit of
butter couldn’t fix. Tender meat, flavorful
gravy, and a comforting profile—this
hamburger steak now had a place in my
regular dinner rotation.Hamburger Steak
with Onion Gravy
This comforting classic needed a reboot. by Alli Berkey
THE
AMERICAN
TABLEHamburger steak, or “Hamburg steak,” isn’t the only bunless ground beef patty
meal in the world. Other branches of the family tree include Salisbury steak
(named for James Salisbury, a 19th-century doctor who believed that meat was
good for you and vegetables were not) and Swiss steak, which, despite its name,
has no connection to Switzerland. Instead, its name refers to “swissing,” which is a
technique for tenderizing meat via rolling and/or pounding.HAMBURGER STEAKS
WITH ONION GRAVY
Serves 4
We developed this recipe using our
favorite beef broth, Better Than
Bouillon Roasted Beef Base.1½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Lipton Onion Soup
and Dip Mix
½ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups beef broth
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives- In large bowl, mix beef, panko, soup
mix, and pepper with your hands until
fully combined. Form mixture into
four 4-inch-diameter patties, about
½ inch thick. Using your fingertips,
press down center of each patty to cre-
ate slight indentation. - Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch
nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add patties and cook until well browned
and meat registers 130 degrees, about
4 minutes per side. Transfer to platter
and tent with aluminum foil. - Reduce heat to medium, add onion
to now-empty skillet, and cook until
lightly browned and beginning to
soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour
and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in broth
and bring to boil. Cook until thick-
ened, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in
remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season
with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon
sauce over steaks and sprinkle with
chives. Serve.