Dr. Salisbury's Savory Mushroom Steaks
Dr. Salisbury's Savory Mushroom Steaks
When I was a kid, "steak" meant one thing: the smoky, sizzling kind, fresh off the grill. As I grew older, I discovered portobello mushrooms, and my idea of steak expanded. This recipe reminds me of the first time I realized you could make "steak" without meat—and without compromising the bold, hearty flavor.
Inspired by 19th-century physician Dr. Salisbury, who championed nourishing, protein-rich meals, this meatless version reinvents his classic dish with hearty mushrooms and black beans. Pair it with Classic Fluffed Mashed Potatoes with Gorgeous Gravy to sponge up every bit of earthy goodness!
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- chop :
to cut something into small, rough pieces using a blade.
- measure :
to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).
- mix :
to thoroughly combine two or more ingredients until uniform in texture.
- sauté :
to cook or brown food in a pan containing a small quantity of butter, oil, or other fat.
- shape :
to form food into a specific shape by hand or with a cutting tool—examples are cutting cookie dough into shapes with cookie cutters, forming bread dough into a roll or crescent shape, and rolling ground meat into a meatball.
Equipment Checklist
- Large sauté pan or skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- Cutting board
- Kid-safe knife
- Dry measuring cups
- Can opener
- Colander or strainer
- Masher
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon
- Heat-resistant spatula or turner
Ingredients
Dr. Salisbury's Savory Mushroom Steaks
- 2 C mushrooms (your choice of type)
- 1 15-oz can black beans **(for LEGUME ALLERGY sub instant potato flakes + water if no Nightshade allergy present—more info below)**
- 1 C Italian bread crumbs **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY sub gluten-free/nut-free bread crumbs)**
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning (or 3/4 tsp ground mustard + 1/2 tsp ground thyme + 1/2 tsp paprika ** + 1/4 tsp ground sage, per 2 tsp poultry seasoning)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 T vegetable oil **
Food Allergen Substitutions
Dr. Salisbury's Savory Mushroom Steaks
- Legume: For 1 15-oz can black beans, substitute 1 C instant potato flakes + 3 T water if no Nightshade allergy is present.
- Gluten/Wheat: Substitute gluten-free/nut-free bread crumbs.
- Nightshade: Omit paprika if making your own poultry seasoning and check labels of store-bought seasoning (most don't have paprika).
- Soy: Substitute canola oil or other nut-free high-smoking point oil for vegetable oil.
Instructions
Dr. Salisbury's Savory Mushroom Steaks
intro
Salisbury steak is a dish that brings me back to the lunchroom of my elementary school. I always was so happy when lunch included gravy. A Salisbury steak is traditionally seasoned and sautéed ground beef served smothered in gravy. The recipe creator was Dr. James H. Salisbury, who promoted a meat-based diet. Our Sticky Fingers Cooking® version will depart from the ground beef origins of the classic recipe, and instead, we will make a patty from black beans and mushrooms. Then, you will season the mixture to taste like the classic. Let’s dive in.
chop + drain
Start by roughly chopping 2 cups of mushrooms and then place them in a large bowl. Next, open and rinse 1 can of black beans, draining the liquid, then pour the beans into the bowl of mushrooms.
superstar food spotlight
Mushrooms are a type of fungus. Mushrooms are excellent sources of vitamin D and B6, which means they help our body absorb calcium and promote brain health. They grow by eating decomposing organic material like leaves or fallen trees in forests. They don’t have roots or seeds. Instead, mushrooms have spores that spread from the wind and will eventually grow into a mushroom. Also, instead of roots, mushrooms have gills. These gills are brown and are housed under the cap of the mushroom. You can easily see the gills if you look underneath the cap of the mushroom yourself. The gills help transfer water and nutrients through the rest of the mushroom. These fungi can be poisonous, so stick to eating the ones at the grocery store unless you have an expert to help you look around the forest for mushrooms.
mash + measure
Using a masher, smash the bean and mushroom mixture until all the beans are squished and smooth. Then, measure and add 1 cup bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl of beans and mushrooms. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
shape + smash
Scoop portions of dough out of the bowl using a 1/3 measuring cup. Then, roll the portions into smooth balls. Finally, smash the dough balls until they look like flat disks.
sauté + serve
Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to spread in the pan, you will know it’s hot enough to brown the "Salisbury steak" dough. Place 2 to 3 of the bean and mushroom dough disks into the pan in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the portobello "Salisbury steaks" from the pan and serve them alongside the Classic Fluffed Mashed Potatoes with Gorgeous Gravy.
Hi! I'm Toady! I'm a Mushroom!
“I'm also a fun guy! Get it? Fun guy—fungi? I'm good in salads, sandwiches, soups, stews, on pizza, with pasta, and stuffed with other yummy foods. Plus, you can cook and use me in recipes just like you would meat!"
History
- The first mushrooms were thought to be cultivated in Southeast Asia, but it is not known why for sure. Perhaps someone discovered that mushrooms grew by accident and sought out a growing method.
- All mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms! There are an estimated 1.5 to 2 million species of fungi on planet Earth, of which only 80,000 have been properly identified. There are over 250 kinds of mushrooms that people eat.
- Mushrooms are a kind of fungus that look like umbrellas! They grow in places like yards, forests, fields, and gardens.
- What is a fungus? It's a kind of living organism that is different from plants. In fact, mushrooms are more like humans than plants!
- Fungi walls are made of a fibrous substance called "chitin," rather than cellulose, like plants. Also, plants produce their own energy from the sun from photosynthesis, but mushrooms and other fungi don't need the sun for energy!
- Many fungi eat by breaking down dead plants. However, other fungi feast on dead animals, bird droppings, manure, wallpaper paste, fruit, and living animals. So fungi are like nature's cleanup crew!
- The yeast that makes bread rise is a type of fungi.
- Mushrooms are sometimes called Toadstools! Can you picture a toad sitting on top of a giant mushroom?
- Some mushrooms are good to eat, like portobellos, crimini, and shiitakes, while others are extremely poisonous. Never eat a mushroom you find growing outside unless you are with a mushroom expert!
- The Honey Mushroom in the Blue Mountains of Oregon is the world's largest living thing. It is actually a mushroom colony and is believed to be at least 2,000 years old! It covers almost four square miles!
- Some mushrooms live entirely underwater.
- In the Amazon rainforest, mushrooms release spores into the air, which creates the surface for water to condense and can trigger rain. The rain then causes more fungi to grow.
- Before the invention of colorful synthetic dyes, people used mushrooms for dyeing wool and other natural fibers.
- Greek warriors ate mushrooms to increase their strength before battle.
- Mushrooms are one of the vegetable world's substitutes for meat.
Anatomy & Etymology
- The largest mushroom you'll find in most grocery stores is the portobello. It is the fully grown version of the Agaricus Bisporus species and has a large, brown cap. Smaller, immature mushrooms may be brown, like the cremini, or white, like the button.
- Mushrooms contain more than 90 percent water!
- Some mushrooms glow in the dark! They produce light through a process called bioluminescence. People used to carry these in ancient times to light their way through the forest.
- Mushrooms can grow super fast. Once they break through the surface of whatever they're growing on, they can double their size in just one day.
- The word "mushroom" comes from late Middle English for any fungus with a fleshy and fruiting body. It is derived from the Old French "mousseron," from the late Latin "mussirio."
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- Wild mushrooms can be found in many wooded areas. If you choose to harvest wild mushrooms, make certain you have a professional identify your pick. Many mushrooms may resemble safe mushrooms but are actually poisonous!
- Buy mushrooms with whole, intact caps, and be sure they are not wet or slimy!
- They will smell strong, sweet, and earthy when fresh.
- Rinse mushrooms before you slice or cut them. Whole mushrooms won't absorb much water, while cut mushrooms will. Wait to rinse mushrooms until right before you cook them; otherwise, they'll turn slimy.
- Mushrooms can be broiled, sautéed, and grilled. Mushrooms can be chopped or sliced and added to other dishes. Portobello caps are large enough to eat like a hamburger on a bun!
- The mushroom cap is most often the part that is cooked and eaten. The stem can be fibrous and woody but will add flavor to vegetable or meat stock.
- Mushrooms pair well with balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs (like oregano, rosemary, thyme, and cilantro), marinara, spinach, leafy greens, tomatoes, goat cheese, mozzarella, cream-based sauces, garlic, and onions.
- Store mushrooms in a partially closed resealable plastic bag to ensure air circulation without drying out the mushrooms.
Nutrition
- Mushrooms are low in calories and are an excellent source of B vitamins. These vitamins are needed for healthy cell and brain function, and they help prevent cancer and stress.
- Even though mushrooms don't use the sun for energy, they use it to produce vitamin D, just like humans do! Vitamin D is essential to our bones! It keeps them strong and regenerating.
- Mushrooms have essential minerals such as selenium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium. Copper helps the body build red blood cells and is necessary for the health of our bones. Selenium is an antioxidant that may decrease cancer risk.
- Mushrooms have been used successfully in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat many health conditions. Western medicine is finally beginning to recognize and utilize some of the medicine mushrooms naturally contain.
History of Salisbury Steak!
- James H. Salisbury (1823–1905), a physician from New York, recommended including meat as a significant portion of a person's diet. Many Civil War soldiers had suffered and died from dysentery, a bacterial disease, and he began to study how germs caused contagious diseases and infections and how diet might play a part in digestive health.
- He introduced the Salisbury steak in 1888 as part of his Salisbury diet. He described it this way: "Heat the muscle pulp of lean beef made into cakes and broiled." His seasoning suggestion was "season to taste with butter, pepper, salt; also use either Worcestershire or Halford sauce, mustard, horseradish or lemon juice on the meat if desired."
- A ground beef patty served as the main dish began to be called "Salisbury steak" in 1897. Ingredients may include breadcrumbs, garlic, mushroom, mustard, onion, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. It is often served with a mushroom or onion brown gravy over the top. Mashed potatoes and cooked vegetables typically accompany it.
Let's Learn About the United States!
- Most of the United States of America (USA) is in North America. It shares its northern border with Canada and its southern border with Mexico. It consists of 50 states, 1 federal district, 5 territories, 9 Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations.
- The country's total area is 3,796,742 square miles, globally the third largest after Russia and Canada. The US population is over 333 million, making it the third most populous country in the world, after China and India.
- The United States of America declared itself an independent nation from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, by issuing the Declaration of Independence.
- The Revolutionary War between the US and Great Britain was fought from 1775-1783. We only had 13 colonies at that time! On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and declared that the new nation would be called the United States.
- The 13 colonies became states after each ratified the constitution of the new United States, with Delaware being the first on December 7, 1787.
- The 13 stripes on the US flag represent those first 13 colonies, and the 50 stars represent our 50 states. The red color of the flag symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes innocence and purity, and blue symbolizes vigilance and justice.
- Before settling in Washington DC, a federal district, the nation's capital resided in New York City and then Philadelphia for a short time. New York City is the largest city in the US and is considered its financial center.
- The US does not have a recognized official language! However, English is effectively the national language.
- The American dollar is the national currency. The nickname for a dollar, "buck," comes from colonial times when people traded goods for buckskins!
- Because the United States is so large, there is a wide variety of climates and types of geography. The Mississippi/Missouri River, running primarily north to south, is the fourth-longest river system in the world. On the east side of the Mississippi are the Appalachian Mountains, the Adirondack Mountains, and the East Coast, next to the Atlantic Ocean.
- On the west side of the Mississippi are the flat Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains (or Rockies), and the West Coast, next to the Pacific Ocean, with several more mountain ranges in coastal states, such as the Sierras and the Cascades. Between the coasts and the north and south borders are several forests, lakes (including the Great Lakes), rivers, swamps, deserts, and volcanos.
- Several animals are unique to the US, such as the American bison (or American buffalo), the bald eagle, the California condor, the American black bear, the groundhog, the American alligator, and the pronghorn (or American antelope).
- The US has 63 national parks. The Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, and the Grand Canyon, with the Colorado River flowing through it, are among the most well-known and visited.
- Cuisine in the US was influenced early on by the indigenous people of North America who lived there before Europeans arrived. They introduced beans, corn, potatoes, squash, berries, fish, turkey, venison, dried meats, and more to the new settlers. Other influences include the widely varied foods and dishes of enslaved people from Africa and immigrants from Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and the Pacific Islands.
What's It Like to Be a Kid in the United States?
- Education is compulsory in the US, and kids may go to a public or private school or be home-schooled. Most schools do not require students to wear uniforms, but some private schools do. The school year runs from mid-August or the beginning of September to the end of May or the middle of June.
- Kids generally start school at about five years old in kindergarten or earlier in preschool and continue through 12th grade in high school. After that, many go on to university, community college, or technical school.
- Spanish, French, and German are the most popular foreign languages kids learn in US schools.
- Kids may participate in many different school and after-school sports, including baseball, soccer, American football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, and track and field. In grade school, kids may join in playground games like hopscotch, four-square, kickball, tetherball, jump rope, or tag.
- There are several fun activities that American kids enjoy doing with their friends and families, such as picnicking, hiking, going to the beach or swimming, or going to children's and natural history museums, zoos and wild animal parks, amusement parks, water parks, state parks, or national parks. Popular amusement parks include Disneyland, Disney World, Legoland, Six Flags, and Universal Studios.
- On Independence Day or the 4th of July, kids enjoy a day off from school, picnicking, and watching fireworks with their families.
- Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Thursday in November when students get 2 to 5 days off school. Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are popular December holidays, and there are 2 or 3 weeks of winter vacation. Easter is celebrated in March, April, or May, and kids enjoy a week of spring recess around that time.
- Barbecued hot dogs or hamburgers, watermelon, apple pie, and ice cream are popular kid foods for 4th of July celebrations. Turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie are traditional Thanksgiving foods. Birthday parties with cake and ice cream are very important celebrations for kids in the United States!
That's Berry Funny
Did you hear the joke about the fungus?
I could tell it to you, but it might need time to grow on you.
THYME for a Laugh
Where do beans go on holiday?
The Carib-bean!
The Yolk's On You
Why did the Fungi leave the party?
There wasn't mushroom to dance!
Lettuce Joke Around
What kinds of beans can’t grow in a garden?
Jelly Beans!
THYME for a Laugh
Why did the Mushroom get invited to all the parties?
Because he's a fungi! (fun guy)
The Yolk's On You
What bean is the most intelligent?
The Human Bean!
