BarbecueStyle or just , Broiled, Planked, Hamburger Steak

If you wish to plank a hamburger or steak, please, please, do so this way. Many of the planks people are now placing their meat on, and allowing to char during the broiling process, can release deadly carcinogens which then penetrate into the meat being cooked. If you are one of those people that just "has to" char or burn something, in order to get that "authentic" out door smoked cooking experience; follow the recipe below to the point of planking the steak; then take that hardware store bought plank, of your choice--place it on your broiler, and let it char-- to your choice of doneness--then continue to follow the recipe and use the type of plank I suggest. You sill still have your smoked taste and smell; but the food will be a lot healthier to eat and you will get a lot more compliments on your presentation and "chef style".

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Canadian Russet potatoes
2 Tbsps butter
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
8 small carrots, cooked and buttered
2 cups peas, cooked and buttered
      Minced parsley

Instructions:
Peel and quarter the potatoes. Cook, covered, in boiling salted water till tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Add the butter and eggs to potatoes (Duchess); beat till fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Shape ground chuck(usually, the ground meat of choice, flavour-wise) into 4 oval steaks about 1 inch thick. In skillet cook steaks till rare, about 5 minutes per side. Place each on a well-oiled seasoned steak plank (they are usually oval shaped, with a groove around the outer edge, and 3/4 to 1 inch thick--some are designed to hold a cast iron steak sizzler); sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush with butter to "finish". Place Potatoes in pastry bag; pipe onto plank to form border 1 inch larger than steak.
Place 2 planks under broiler or salamander, 4 inches from heat; broil till potatoes brown sightly, about 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining planks. Arrange "baby" carrots and peas (other vegetables may be added, if desired) within potato border; sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings

©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

Steak "American" and Steak Tartare

 Have you ever noticed that all the older cook books and recipes guarded against the over cooking of ground beef.


Dishes such as the previously mentioned Steak Tartare or Steak American consist of raw, shaved or shredded beef. (Shaved beef is very seldom seen today. It requires a very sharp knife and considerable skill--shaved beef is literally shaved off a larger cut that is kept; just at the freezing point; but not allowed to freeze). Nobody ever got sick. 


Today all cook books and recipes claim that ground beef must be treated like pork and very well cooked. The difference is in the handling. Canadians used to buy their meat freshly cut or ground, often "to order" this happy circumstance no longer exists.While "fresh" meat always was a misconception or myth-that most civilized people would eat or purchase (what was considered top quality meat was always aged, for flavour and tenderness); since  greedy marketers/producers started adding-and disregarding all health  concerns, governments and health boards have allowed pink slime shit-a frozen product that can be a year or more old-to be added to meat products "FRESH" no longer exists. One cut of meat is now virtually the same as another-non of it fresh and containing scraps from where ever/when ever.

Steak Tartare-

 The original hamburger.

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        For each serving allow six ounces freshly HAND SHAVED extra lean beef (usually fillet, sirloin, or round). Handle as little as possible, but arrange each serving in a mound. Make a shallow depression in the top of each mound and place in the depression a very, very,  soft (just barely starting to turn white) coddled egg. Garnish with capers or anchovy fillets. Have available: Worcestershire, mustard, salt, a peppermill, bottled thick meat sauce, ketchup, and separate dishes of capers, caraway seeds, and finely minced onion. Let each guest season his beef to taste. Serve plenty of buttered, thinly sliced rye bread or crisp toast.

Steak American

BROUGHT OUT BY THE U.S.A.; "Steak American" like "Salisbury Steak"is just another one of the"famous" copy-cat products and or recipes that country has built a reputation on; and is so well known for. Notice that the photo images shows a product that  uses GROUND BEEF--NOT SHAVED. Of course, the appearance, taste, and texture will all much different than the classic dish as served in the top EUROPEAN restaurants.

• Prepare Steak Tartare in the normal way and then place a raw egg yolk (yolk only- otherwise you go back to steak tartare) on top.

Mini-Meatball Minestrone

Mini-Meatball Minestrone

If you're going to make soup, make soup not dishwater.

Ingredients:

1 28oz can tomatoes, crushed

2 C shredded cabbage

2 small zuccini or firm cucumber, sliced (2 cups)

1 12 oz can whole kernel corn

2 ribs celery, bias-cut

1 medium onion, large dice

1/2 C broken vermicelli

1/2 C dry red wine

2 Tbsps chopped parsley

11/4 tsps instant beef bouillon granules or 4 C good beef stock (omit 4 C water

4 C water

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1/4 tsp dried basil, crushed

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 beaten egg

1/4 C milk

1/3 cup fine bread crumbs

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 lb ground chuck

Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:In Dutch oven, combine undrained tomatoes, cabbage, zuccini, undrained corn, celery, onion, uncooked vermicelli, red wine, parsley instant beef bouillon granules, oregano, basil, garlic powder, , 4 cups water or stock,3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the egg, milk, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and dash of pepper. Add  ground chuck; mix well. shape into 36 tiny balls. In skillet brown the meatballs, shaking the pan often to keep balls rounded. Drain off excess fat.

Add meatballs to soup. Cover and cook till vegetables and vermicelli are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Pass Parmesan to sprinkle atop. Makes 8 servings. 

Hamburgers with Spazz--Kids Love Them Too.

Ground chuck is always the choice for burgers, because it has better flavour and nutrition and excess fat is easily drained off.


Bulls-eye Burgers:
This recipe is adapted from a Meatloaf recipe I picked up while attending the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.


Ingredients;
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Dash pepper
1 pound ground chuck
2 hard-coddled eggs
Hot-style ketchup or chilli sauce


Instructions:
In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Add ground chuck; mix well. Shape meat mixture into 4 patties, 3/4 inch thick. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Press one egg half, cut side up, into each meat patty. Place in 8x8x2 inch baking pan.Cover and braise at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes. 
Meanwhile, in  a small saucepan heat ketchup or chilli sauce. Serve with burgers. Makes 4 servings.

Hamburger Flambé.

·   Flambé- Pour 1/2 cup brandy, slightly warmed, over top broiled steaks and ignite Spoon over steaks until flames are out.

HAMBURGER STEAK, CHATEAUBRIAND-

 CHATEAUBRIAND- Use same meat as for hamburger steak

OR

Ingredients:

2 chicken bouillon cubes 1/4 tsp. pepper

1 cup boiling water         2 tsp Worcestershire

1-1/2 lbs ground beef               1 egg

3/4 tsp. salt                              2 cans (3oz. each)                                                   sliced mushrooms

1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning        2 Tbsp. flour

Instructions:

1. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water; cool.

2. Add beef, seasonings and egg; mix thoroughly.

3. Shape into thick oval steak and put in shallow broiling pan.

4. Broil to desired doneness (about 5 minutes on each side for medium).

5. Oil a heated plank, place steak on plank, and arrange border of Duchés, sliced and deep-fried or Chateau potatoes around it.

6.. Arrange other cooked vegetables, at least three, in contrasting colour, such as stuffed tomatoes or green peppers, small boiled onions, peas, wax, or green string beans, cubes of carrot or turnip, cauliflower, around the steak, also so that the board is entirely concealed.

7. Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid. Cook in drippings in broiling pan. Blend with flour. Add mushroom liquid, and cook till thickened.

8. If using Duchess, place the plank in he oven until the potato border is browned and all the vegetables are heated through.

9. After removing it from the oven, finish steak (spread with butter and sprinkle with minced parsley, salt and paprika).

10. The meat is sliced at the table, into and served with the mushroom sauce or with Chateau and Béarnaise sauce, as you prefer. Serves 4 to

©

Smothered Hamburger Steak

·   Smothered- Cover uncooked steaks with gravy and sautéed onions simmer covered about 30 minutes.

Sauerbraten Patties

Sauerbraten Patties

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef              1/3 cup milk

1 medium onion, minced        1-1/2 cups water

 1 egg                               1/2 cup vinegar

1 tsp. salt                         10 whole cloves

1/4 cup fine dry                       1 bay leaf

        bread crumbs           8 gingersnaps crumbled

          Mix lightly the first 6 ingredients. Shape into 4 large patties. Brown on both sides in hot greased skillet. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil; cover and simmer 1 hour. Serves 4.

.Gourmet Hamburger Steak

 Gourmet Hamburger Steak

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs meat, mix of ground chuck, pork and veal

1 cup finely minced sweet onion

1/2 cup firm fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. dry mustard

3/4 tsp. salt

 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

        Pinch of ground cloves

1 egg

Instructions

          In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to gently but thoroughly combine the meat, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, Worcestershire, milk, mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and egg. Form the mixture into 6 oval loaves each about 3/4-inch thick.

Planked Hamburger Steak

·   Planked

        Oil a heated plank, place cooked steak on plank, and arrange border of Duchess or sliced, deep- fried potatoes around it. Arrange other cooked vegetables, such as peas, string beans, cubes of carrot or yellow turnip, around steak also, so that the board is entirely concealed. Place the plank in the oven until the potato border is browned and all the vegetables are heated through. After removing it from the oven finish steak with butter and sprinkle with minced parsley, salt and paprika. Serve on the plank. Often a cast iron sizzler is used with the plank. SEE MY CHATEAUBRIAND RECIPE, TO GET THE IDEA OF HOW A "PLANKED STEAK SHOULD LOOK AND BE PREPARED:  http://al-alex-alexander-d-girvan.blogspot.com/2011/11/chateaubriand-as-it-should-look-and-be.html©

Hamburger Steak Diane

Hamburger Steak Diane

2 lbs.         ground chuck 

1 tsp.         salt

1/4 tsp.     pepper

4 Tbsp.      butter

2 Tbsps.      prepared mustard

2 Tbsps.      lemon juice

1 Tbsp.      Worcestershire sauce

          Mix the ground chuck, salt and pepper together lightly and form into 3- 1inchthick patties. Melt butter in skillet. Remove from heat Blend mustard into butter, return to heat. Pan-broil hamburgers on medium heat about 5 minutes each side. Remove and keep warm. Add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce to pan and stir over low heat until well blended. Return patties to pan and let simmer in juice a few minutes while spooning juice over the top occasionally. This recipe is often planked. Yield 6 servings. 


TRADITIONAL STEAK DIANE:
http://al-alex-alexander-d-girvan.blogspot.com/2011/08/steak-diane.html

Meatballs Stroganoff

 Meatballs Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1-1/2 to 2 lbs.   ground top round or chopped sirloin

1 tsp.                        salt

1/4 tsp.             pepper

4 tsp.                        steak sauce

1/3 cup             dry bread crumbs

1                      egg

2 Tbsps              butter

Sauce:

2 Tbsps.             butter

8 oz.                 mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsps.             flour

1 tsp.                        ketchup

1 can                       condensed beef broth, (10-1/2 oz.)

1 pkg.               dry onion soup mix

1 cup                        sour cream

Method:

Meatballs:

          In a large bowl, combine ground beef with salt, pepper, steak sauce, crumbs and egg, mixing gently until well blended. Shape into large 1-1/2to 2 inch meatballs. Brown meat balls in a large skillet in the butter. Reduce heat and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Remove meatballs and set aside. Pour off all but about a tbsp. of the drippings.

Sauce:

          Add 1 Tbsp. butter to the skillet, sauté mushrooms and remove from heat. Stir in flour and ketchup; add broth gradually. Add onion soup mix, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add meatballs. Stir in sour cream; heat through but do not boil. Serve with hot buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. Serves 6.

 Ground Beef Fluffs-The lightest meat ball ever

1 lb. ground beef                     1/2 medium onion, minced

2 Tbsp. flour                             Pinch thyme

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire                     Pinch marjoram

1/2 tsp. pepper                  3/4 cup undiluted evaporated milk

1 tsp. salt                         3/4 cup water

        Put beef in large bowl; add all ingredients, except milk and water. Use a hand whip or electric mixer to whip mixture. Add milk and water gradually, beating constantly. When all liquid has been absorbed, cover bowl, and let stand in refrigerator a few hours. (Mixture can be cooked at once, but texture improves on standing).Drop 16 mounds on well-greased griddle. Brown 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Makes 4 servings