Homestead on Lakeside

We are currently reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Every time I read this book, I am always so impressed with all of the hearty food that Almamzo’s mother manages to feed their hungry farming family each day. So, I was inspired to make a hearty dinner for my hungry growing boys. Tonight’s dinner is country fried hamburger steaks with mashed potatoes and gravy. Follow along as we make dinner together!

I felt like county fried steak, but we didn’t have steak or chicken breasts, so I had to get creative.  I had ground veal and thought that veal would make a delicious substitute.

Country Fried Hamburger Steak Ingredients:

2 pounds of ground beef or veal

2 eggs

4 tsp of salt

3 tsp of dried onion

2 tsp of dried garlic

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

1 cup of kefir or buttermilk

2 cups of milk

4 tbsp of butter

2 cups plus 4 tbsp of Einkorn all-purpose flour (regular all-purpose flour can also be used)

Oil for frying. I used tallow.

Country Fried Hamburger Steak Recipe:

Start by placing the 2 pounds of ground veal in a large bowl and mix with 1 tsp of salt, dried onion, dried garlic,  and pepper to taste. Create 8 to 9 thin, oval shaped patties and set aside.

Prepare the flour and egg mixture that the hamburger will get dipped into.

In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of flour, 2 tsp of salt and dried onion, 1 tsp of dried garlic, and pepper to taste.

In a separate medium bowl, mix together 2 eggs and 1 cup of kefir or buttermilk.

We ate our country fried hamburger steaks with mashed potatoes and green beans. If you’re making mashed potatoes,  take the time here to start your potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 250F.  This is for the steaks to keep warm until they are all ready to be served.

Frying the Steaks

A cast iron skillet works well for frying. I used our large cast iron skillet here. Preheat the skillet to medium heat and add the oil until there is about 1/2 inch of oil covering the pan. I added several tbsp of tallow that I had rendered earlier and was storing in the refrigerator. While you are waiting for the oil to heat, prepare the hamburger steaks.

Dip the hamburger steaks into the flour mixture,  then the egg mixture,  and then back into the flour mixture.

Place the floured steaks into the hot skillet. I was able to fit four steaks at a time. Cover the skillet with a splatter screen to keep the oil from getting all over you. Since the steaks are made with ground meat, they are delicate to handle until they have been fried.

Allow the steaks to cook until golden brown on one side before flipping. This may take 7 to 10 minutes depending on how hot your pan is. Flip the steaks and cook until brown on the other side. This may take about 5 minutes. Once the steaks are cooked and golden brown on both sides, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and store in the warm oven until ready to serve.

Continue with the other steaks. I added oil to the skillet in between rounds of frying steaks. Be sure to allow the oil to get hot again before adding more steaks to fry.

Making Gravy

While you are waiting for the steaks to fry, prepare the gravy.

Add 4 tbs of butter to a sauce pan and melt over low heat. Once the butter is melted, add 4 tbsp of flour and mix together. Then add 2 cups of milk and stir frequently until the milk has warmed and the butter and flour mixture has been fully incorporated into the milk without lumps. Increase the heat to medium while the gravy thickens, stirring often. Add the remaining tsp of salt and pepper to taste.  Once the gravy has thickened,  turn down the heat to low.

Plate the meal with mashed potatoes and steak, topped with gravy. Your meal is ready! I hope you enjoy this hearty meal as much as we do!

For more homemade family inspiration and recipes follow along @homesteadonlakeside

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