Chopped Steaks
Throwback to this delicious hamburger steak recipe that my mom used to make for us growing up. A mini meatloaf braised in caramelized onions!
Anytime I hear the term “Chopped Steak” I’m instantly teleported back to my mom’s house for dinnertime. What’s on the menu? Chopped steaks with caramelized onions, fried potatoes, and mixed green frozen veggies. A classic dinner at the Ruane household consisted of 3 components, a veg, potato, and protein. I still can’t believe my mom would come home from work and cook a full 3-course meal for us after an 8-hour shift as a nurse. Her chopped steaks were my favorite. It was for her kids who somehow did not like actual steak, but we LOVED the ground version. It’s like a cute individual serving of meatloaf, just for you! You brown the patties, caramelize the onions, then braise in a beef and onion gravy. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried these tasty steaks.
Doing research into the origins of this recipe I realize some may know this recipe as hamburger steaks, or even Salisbury steaks. The name Salisbury comes from a physician recommending meat diets to America which is to serve ground beef patties as a main course. This famous dinner was one of the first flash frozen and served in stores as a TV dinner. We’ve come a long way since the all-meat diet, but as the TV dinner gained popularity we discovered the gorgeous combination of buttery mashed potatoes and sweet onion gravy. The real champion of this entree is how it pairs with almost every roasted vegetable.
I believe this dish upgraded the home cook back in the early 1900s with the introduction of sauces to your meat entrees. Sauces today in cooking, represent bringing home-cooked meals up a notch. Back then sauces made meals better, from acidic sauces making rubbery overcooked meats palatable to cheese-covered mushy green vegetables to helping them go down smoother. The sauce just makes food taste better.
Bring this delicious mini meatloaf back in style with this tasty throwback recipe. Serve it over some heated store-bought mashed potatoes and you’ll save lives.
Chopped Steaks
Allergens: Gluten
For steaks:
- 2 lb. ground beef, 80/20
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
For assembly:
- 2 large white onions, cut into large slices
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tub instant mashed potatoes, heated up according to directions on package
Preparation
- Preheat a cast-iron pan over medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes and an oven to 350° F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the chopped steaks until thoroughly mixed.
- Divide the mixture into four and shape it into even 1.5-inch oval patties.
- Add vegetable oil to the cast iron and cook two chopped steaks at a time for 3 - 4 minutes on each side.
- Remove par-cooked steaks to a tray and finish the remaining steaks.
- Add onions to the steak pan and sear onions for 4 - 6 minutes or until onions have softened.
- Add butter and flour to the pan, then pour over beef stock and mix. Season with black pepper and remove from heat.
- Nestle steaks over onion in the broth and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the inside temperature measures 150° F with a meat thermometer.
- Remove steaks from the pan and serve with onions and jus over mashed potatoes.
- Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Restless Chipotle