I recently purchased a whole beef tenderloin on sale. The price tag was staggering compared to the $9.99 sale price before the pandemic hit.
I had the butcher cut the tenderloin into steaks and grind the rest into minced meat.
On a busy day last week, my husband asked about the dinner menu. I had nothing planned, but I did have a packet of ground tenderloin that I decided to use for Salisbury steaks. It would be a quick and easy meal to prepare.
My husband is an archaeologist who taught a Food and Culture course in the Humanities Department at Marshall University Grad School. He was impressed with the Salisbury steak meal and proceeded to tell me the history of these oblong, ground beef patties soaked in a gravy. He basically gave me his class lecture.
Dr. James Salisbury invented this dish that was named after him. He believed that food was the key to health. He was curious about the relationship of food and drink to the occurrence of disease. He tested his theories during the Civil War because digestive illnesses killed more soldiers than combat. He served Union soldiers who were suffering from diarrhea ground beef and little else. He thought ground beef steaks were easy to digest and helped wash out a sour stomach and bowels. Ground beef steaks also provided nourishment.
He claimed his blend of ground beef and other ingredients, eaten three times a day with lots of water, cleansed the digestive system.
His experimentation started when he enlisted six fellows to live with him and eat nothing but baked beans. (There is no mention of a wife who put up with seven flatulent men.) Other single food experiments followed, and Salisbury’s conclusion was that lean ground beef is the most easily digested food.
During the Civil War, Salisbury tested his theory on suffering soldiers. This was probably the first low-carb diet.
Salisbury Steak became very popular during World War I. There was a movement to limit German-sounding words, so the Army served Salisbury Steak instead of hamburgers.
I cannot verify Salisbury’s claims, but I can tell you that Salisbury Steaks are delicious. Here is the recipe I used. It was satisfyingly delicious!
Salisbury Steak in Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 can condensed mushroom soup
1½ cups milk
1 can beef broth
Preparation:
In a medium bowl, mix beef, egg, crumbs, onion, salt and pepper. Shape into oblong patties about 1 inch thick.
Fry patties in a large skillet about 4 minutes on each side until browned. Remove patties to a platter and drain off any grease.
Combine mushroom soup, milk and beef broth. Pour into skillet. Heat until mixture begins to thicken.
Return patties to the skillet and cook them in the gravy for about 15 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
Serve with mashed potatoes, if desired.
