Time Traveling Table

Let’s be real: when you first hear Salisbury steak, it might conjure up memories of old-school TV dinners in foil trays, you know, the ones with the mystery meat swimming in gravy next to a scoop of mashed potatoes. But friends, homemade Salisbury steak is a whole different experience, and it totally deserves a spot in your comfort food lineup.

Salisbury steak was actually born in the late 1800s, named after Dr. James Salisbury, who promoted a meat-focused diet (yep, before keto made it cool). By the 1950s, it had become a dinner table classic, a budget-friendly way to stretch ground beef into a hearty, flavorful meal.

At its heart, Salisbury steak is basically tender, seasoned beef patties, seared to perfection and covered in caramelized onions. So if you’re craving a throwback dinner that hits all the comfort notes, this Salisbury steak with onions will have you wondering why you ever settled for the frozen version. Let’s get cooking!

You will need:

• 4 strips bacon
• 1½ pounds ground beef (chuck or round)
• ½ pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced green pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 large onion, sliced into rings
• Butter or drippings for grilling onions

Here’s how you do it:
Chop the bacon nice and fine, then mix it gently but thoroughly with the ground beef, pork, chopped onion, green pepper, parsley, salt, and pepper. Gently mix with your hands or a fork, don’t overwork it, or the patties can get tough.

Shape this flavorful mixture into six good-sized patties. Patties should be about ½ to ¾ inch thick, thick enough to stay juicy, but not so thick that they take forever to cook through. Press your thumb gently into the center of each patty to create a shallow indent, about the size of a quarter and maybe ¼ inch deepThis helps them stay flat instead of puffing up during cooking.

Place the patties under the broiler, about 3 inches from the heat. Broil for 12 minutes, turning once to get that beautiful browned crust.

While the patties are broiling, melt a bit of butter or bacon drippings in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion rings and cook slowly, stirring now and then, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.

To serve, spoon the grilled onions generously over the hot Salisbury steaks.