Sometimes the only thing you have to see from a recipe is the name before you decide you need to make it and that was exactly the case with Emergency Steak. How could you resist a name like that?

This recipe comes from my copy of Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook, which was my grandma’s, and then my mom’s, and now mine. It’s one of my prized possessions and it holds an esteemed place of honor in my kitchen. (Highest shelf, top right, next to a portrait of Julia Child.) It’s the ninth printing of the 1950 edition and definitely shows some wear and tear but that’s just because it’s been well-loved and well-used — those tatters are well-earned. After years of only turning to the drop cookie page, I decided it was high time to start cooking my way through it.

There are so many vintage gems in this book — and so many that my grandmother probably loved — that I felt like I should probably take some time to discover them. So I’m taking you along with me for the great Betty Crocker Cookbook Cookthrough. And today we’re working on the Meats chapter!

The Meats chapter starts with basic cooking strategies for all types of meat (broiling, baking, etc) and then divides into specific recipes for each type of meat. We’re focusing on the “Ground Meats” section today, which has the inscriptions “Meat-Stretchers” and “Easy On The Purse Strings” at the top. Clearly, ground meat was thought of as an economical option and that’s exactly the arena Emergency Steak belongs in.

See, “Emergency Steak” is meant to replace a T-Bone steak and be served family style. It uses ground beef as the base, but adds a few things into the mix to stretch that meat along (and make it shape-able). One of those things is Wheaties (though it does say you can substitute breadcrumbs), along with some minced onion, milk, and salt and pepper. Very simple!

Betty then instructs you to pat the meat mixture into the shape of a T-Bone steak about an inch thick. I googled T-Bone steak to try to get as accurate as possible, but I still made something looking more like a sagging heart. I tried. Betty also suggests that you can use strips of carrot to form the “bone” in the steak, and I definitely opted to do that.

Betty says to broil it according to the instructions on page 268, but on page 268 there are no instructions for broiling ground meat, just actual steak. Since there really wasn’t a way to flip this (which page 268 advises you to do), I opted to broil it on one side and then bake it for a bit.

The verdict? It tastes much more like meatloaf than a steak, but there’s nothing wrong with that! I tried the end piece on camera and that particular piece was a little rubbery but as you actually get into the rest of it, it’s pretty tender. It’s a fun idea for an economical meal… and besides, it’s always a delight to play with your food.

Fun Fact!

Did you know Betty Crocker wasn’t a real person? She was just a personality invented by General Mills to try to connect with customers in an effort to sell more product.
Find more of our Betty Crocker Cookbook Cookthrough articles here:
Betty Crocker’s Lemon Cake Pudding
Betty Crocker’s Lumberjack Macaroni
Betty Crocker’s Prize Coffee Cake