Salisbury steak with red wine-mushroom sauce

Salisbury steak... I don't remember having Salisbury steak since I was a kid - and then it was one of those scary school cafeteria meals that looked pretty unappetizing, and probably didn't taste very good either (and I don't even want to think about the ingredients). This Salisbury steak is inspired by a recipe on Nourished Kitchen. It is full of flavor and is dressed-up a bit to make this school cafeteria lunch an elegant meal for adults (though I'm sure kids will like this version, too).

I have been having pretty intense cravings for red meat lately. I have been feeling pretty run down, and when that happens I often start craving beef and dark leafy greens. It's usually when I make a steak and some creamed spinach. However, I didn't have any steaks on hand, but I did have some grass-fed pastured organic beef from Green Heron Growers. We aren't huge red meat eaters, but when we do eat it, we only eat grass-fed now. On our quest to eat more traditional foods, we've discovered the numerous health benefits to eating grass-fed pastured beef, which you can read toward the bottom of this page. 

This recipe will make four servings of Salisbury steak. Serve this with some smashed potatoes and vegetables of your choice. I served it with some garlicky red potatoes and a mix of steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

Salisbury steak with red wine-mushroom sauce
for the steaks:
1 shallot, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
for the sauce:
12-14 oz. mixed mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups beef broth/stock
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
butter, for cooking

Gently mix the steak ingredients together in a medium bowl using your hands. Don't overwork the meat. Divide it into four even balls, and then flatten in oblong steaks.  Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. When melted, place the steaks in the pan. Let cook for about 5-7 minutes per side. Then remove from the pan and set aside on a plate (I find that I have very little fat in the pan when using grass-fed pastured beef. If you have excessive fat remaining, pour it off and add a little more butter, if needed).

Add the mushrooms and shallot to the skillet in an even layer. Let them cook until golden, stirring only occasionally. Add the garlic and thyme sprigs and cook for about one minute.

Add the red wine and de-glaze the pan. Let the wine come to a boil and reduce slightly. Then add the beef broth. Let the liquid come back to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly (it won't get very thick, as you can see from the photos. You can use a thickener such as flour or cornstarch if you want it more like a gravy). Return the steaks to the pan until they are hot and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the thyme sprigs.

Serve the Salisbury steaks topped with the mushrooms and sauce.

What was I cooking one year ago?: beef and wild mushroom stew
Two years ago?: spiced pickled grapes