Old-Fashioned Hamburger Steak
4 servings
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Ingredients
Tick each one off as you go.
- 1 ½ lb (700 g) ground beef (about 20% fat)
- 3 tbsp coarsely grated onion (about ½ small onion)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, plus 1 tsp for the gravy
- 1 tsp salt and ¾ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp beef dripping or neutral oil, for frying
- 2 large onions (about 400 g), halved and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 ⅛ cups (500 ml) hot beef stock
- a few drops of gravy browning, optional
Method
- Mix and shape. Gently mix the ground beef with the grated onion, 1 tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp salt and ¾ tsp pepper — don't knead it. Shape into 4 oval patties about 2 cm thick and press a shallow dimple into the center of each.
- Sear hard. Heat the dripping in a large heavy skillet over high heat until shimmering. Sear the patties 3–4 minutes a side, without moving them, until deeply browned. Set aside — they won't be cooked through yet.
- Brown the onions. Turn the heat to medium, add the butter and sliced onions with a pinch of salt, and cook 12–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until deep golden-brown. Pale onions make pale gravy — take your time.
- Build the gravy. Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1–2 minutes until biscuit-colored. Gradually add the hot stock, scraping every browned bit off the pan, then stir in 1 tsp Worcestershire and the gravy browning. Simmer until thickened.
- Smother. Return the patties and their resting juices, spoon gravy over the top and simmer gently, uncovered, for 8–10 minutes until cooked through and the gravy coats a spoon. Season to taste.
- Serve. Over buttery mashed potatoes or plain white rice, with the onions and gravy spooned generously over everything.
Granny's tip
Granny's pan was a black cast-iron skillet that never saw dishes liquid — and if the bottom of yours looks alarmingly dark and sticky before the stock goes in, you haven't burnt it, you've made the gravy. Scrape up every last bit.