Salisbury Steak

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Prepare the steaks: Grate about a quarter of the onion into a medium bowl (you should have about ¼ cup of pulp). Set aside the remaining onion for the gravy. Add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and egg; season generously with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the ground beef and panko, and with a spoon or fork, gently stir the mixture to combine without overmixing. Form into 8 small, oval-shaped patties about 1 inch thick, place on a plate and into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

2. Step 2

   Meanwhile, finely dice the remaining onion. Using a wet towel, wipe the mushrooms clean and thinly slice them.

3. Step 3

   Cook the steaks: Heat a large skillet over medium and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Remove the patties from the freezer, add them to the hot oil and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

4. Step 4

   Prepare the gravy: To the same skillet, add the onion and mushrooms, season with salt and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally until deeply browned but not burned, 8 to 10 minutes. The vegetables will release their water before starting to brown, so be patient. Add more oil if the pan looks dry.

5. Step 5

   Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring, until you can no longer see streaks of white and the raw flour taste cooks out, about 30 seconds.

6. Step 6

   Stir in the beef stock and milk. Season generously with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Taste the sauce and season to taste with ½ to 1 teaspoon Worcestershire if you’d like more savoriness, 1 tablespoon ketchup for tanginess and a pinch of brown sugar for a little sweetness. Add the seared steaks to the gravy and reduce the heat to continue simmering, basting the steaks once or twice, until the gravy is thicker and reduced to your liking, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately and sprinkle with chives, if you’d like.