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Hamburger steaks or ‘The Poor Man’s Steak” are so simple and packed with so much flavor. This is a stick to your rib kind of tasty. Most people have all of the ingredients in their pantry/freezers, it is a cheap meal and everyone in the family will love it.
To make this you will need 2 pounds of ground beef, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, vegetable oil, flour and beef broth. The best part about a recipe like this, you can substitute any part you want and make it your own! You can switch out the ground beef for turkey, chicken or venison to make a healthier version. Feel free to switch out any spices to add your own flavors!
The steaks
Add your ground beef to a medium/large bowl along with your spices. You will need 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. Mix it all together until just combined, make sure not to overwork your meat. I use my meat masher to mix everything, but feel free to use your hands!
Once you have it mixed, bring out your kitchen scale or eyeball it and make about quarter pound patties. You can definitely make these to your desired size, we have a patty maker that I love! If you choose to use the patty maker, you will have more uniform steaks to work with and will cook more evenly. Lay your prepared patties on a plate of baking sheet with wax paper while you form the rest.
Now that your patties/steaks are made, warm up 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Place 2-3 steaks in your hot skillet and cook them for 3-5 minutes each side, it may take longer depending on your thickness. Make sure not to overcrowd your pan or it will cool the oil and take longer to cook through.
Set the patties on a clean plate and continue cooking the rest until all are complete. No need to keep them warm as they will go back in the gravy to reheat if necessary. Do not drain your oil/grease when done, it is needed for the next step!
The Gravy
For the gravy, reserve about a half a cup of pan drippings and discard any leftover. Leaner meats may not have that leftover, so feel free to use butter or even coconut oil. Once the drippings and butter are melted, add half a cup of flour. Whisk to incorporate and continue to whisk while you let the roux cook for 3-5 minutes (until a golden brown).
Now add about 50-60 ounces or about 7 cups of beef broth to your roux, one cup at a time. This will make it easier to whisk and reduce your clumps in the gravy. It will be pretty watery to begin with. Bring it to a boil.
After it begins to boil, reduce it to medium/low and add the steaks back to the gravy. Make sure to have them covered as much as possible. Let them cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until your gravy reaches desired consistency. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a side of veggies!
Hamburger Steaks
Ingredients
Steaks
- 2 lb. ground beef
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
Gravy
- 1/2 c. pan drippings (grease)
- 1/2 c. flour
- 7 c. beef broth
Instructions
Steaks
- In a medium/large bowl mix together spices and ground beef. Mix until just combined, a potato masher works great or your hands!
- Form your patties using either a kitchen scale or eyeballing it. You should have 8 quarter pound patties. Place them on a plate or baking sheet while you finish prepping the patties.
- Warm up 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Place 2-3 steaks in the heated pan and cook them for 3-5 minutes each side. Cooking may take longer depending on thickness.
- Once patties are cooked, set them aside on a clean plate and continue cooking the rest. Keep your grease!
Gravy
- Reserve half a cup of pan drippings and discard leftovers. If you don't have enough, add some butter. Add half a cup of flour and whisk until combined. Let roux cook for about 3-5 minutes.
- Slowly add about 7 cups of beef broth, add about one cup at a time. This will make it easier to whisk together. Once all broth is added, bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, add all the steaks back to the pan and reduce to medium/low heat. Leave the pan uncovered and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Equipment
