Earlier this week, I decided to make Ramon the cowboy delicacy, Hamburger Steak with Brown Gravy. It is very easy and quick to do and fortunately I had a half pound plus of good quality ground beef on hand.
I served it with green beans and simple buttered rice. As I sat the meal in front of Ramon, I explained in my very broken Spanish that this entree is from the southern United States, particularly the cowboy country of Texas. His eyes lit up and he dug in! In a few minutes, I returned to check on him and he said to me, “As far as I am concerned, you can serve me Southern U.S. cowboy food at every meal!”
And, so it is with a good Hamburger Steak … so good, yet so simple.
Of course, you can grill the meat outside over a smokey fire, but excellent, even preferable results may be had inside as the meat’s flavor will not compete with smoke … it is up to you. The key is high quality ground beef. Select natural, grass fed or Certified Angus if available. I recommend Ground Sirlion (90% Lean) so that just a bit of fat is available for flavor. You may go more lean if you want.
In this recipe, I am going to go the indoor cooking route, with grilled onions and a wonderful handmade brown gravy, which you will want to serve on the side to allow your diners to use more or less as they desire. Enjoy!
- 1 Pound Ground Sirloin (or more), Hand Formed into 2 Thick Steak-Shaped Patties
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Yellow or Sweet Onion Peeled, Sliced and Separated into Rings
- 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped Yellow Onion
- 1½ Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- 1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce
- Dash of Garlic Powder
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Liberally salt and pepper (freshly ground black pepper) both sides of each steak and allow seasoned meat to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- While meat is resting, place a cast iron or other heavy skillet over high heat. For ease of clean up later, a heavy non-stick pan is useful, although the cast iron choice will hold the heat the best.
- Saute the onion rings in the olive oil until limp and browned; be sure to salt and pepper them. Remove to a plate and set aside. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and return to high heat for at least 10 minutes in preparation for the steaks.
- While the pan is heating, you may make the gravy. Add the oil and chopped onions to a small sauce pan over medium heat. Cook the onions for 3 minutes. Add the flour and stir well to make a smooth paste with the oil; cook the paste for 1 minute to remove the flour's raw taste. Pour in the broth, soy sauce, garlic powder and add 3 twists of the black pepper mill. Check for salt and correct if needed. Stir and allow the gravy to come to a slight boil and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. The gravy will thicken as it cooks. If it becomes too thick before use, add a little water. Reheat briefly before serving.
- Using a spatula, place the steaks in the hot pan. Cook for 3 minutes, turn. Cook for 3 more minutes or until the desired doneness is reached turning as desired. Remove the steaks to serving plates. Return the cooked onion rings to the hot pan to reheat for a minute. Arrange one-half of the onions over each steak. Serve with the brown gravy on the side.
No Comments