Jalapeño Salisbury Steak

Sometimes, you find a slammin deal you just can's resist. When I grabbed a pound of jalapeños for just over a dollar at the local farmers market, I was determined to use them for good.

You don't always have to create something new--sometimes taking a classic recipe and re-tuning it makes for a great dinner.  I had made Salisbury Turkey Steak quite a while ago, and considered that upping the spice level could make for some fun.  I used that recipe but took a note from Chicken with Jalapeño Onion Gravy and tossed some jalapeños in the mix.
I divided the Salisbury steak recipe in half for the most part, though I left some spices alone, as I was using 1/2 pound of ground beef instead of a pound.

I started by forming the ground beef into patties, then added them to a nonstick skillet sprayed with some olive oil so they wouldn't stick.  I let them cook for about 6-7 minutes in each side, until they were browned on the outside and cooked throughout. I removed them from the pan and set them aside to work on the gravy.

Next, I tossed in some fresh slices of jalapeno and some chopped onion. The jalapeños were locally grown and VERY potent, so I knew 1 was plenty.  These little guys from the fresh market are the reason I started wearing gloves when dealing with hot peppers!

After sautéeing the onions and peppers for a few minutes, I then added the drained mushrooms and continued cooking the mixture for a couple of minutes.

Then, I stirred in the minced garlic, paprika and mustard and returned the patties to the pan.  Lastly, I placed the flour in a bowl and ysed a fork to stir it while adding in the beef bouillon dissolved in water. I poured the broth mix into the pan and covered it.  I lowered the heat and let the gravy simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce had thickened. To thicken it a bit more, I combined some cornstarch and water and mixed it in.

The end result was a thick, creamy gravy.

So, SPICY is absolutely the right term for this recipe, especially since I used fresh peppers.  But it was also delicious.  Though the turkey Salisbury steak was good, beef gives this recipe a flavor more authentic to the original.  I would definitely recommend this to any pepper fan.  A less-fresh pepper would give this dish less of a kick but could still add some jalapeño flavor, a lesser level more like I had in Jalapeño Cheddar Turkey Burgers.  I need to add jalapeños to more classic dishes.  Jalapeño marinara sauce?  Jalapeño meatloaf?  Challenge accepted.

Jalapeño Salisbury Steak Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 jalapeño
1 small onion
1 can mushrooms (4 ounces)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1 cup beef broth (or beef bouillon dissolved in warm water)
1 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions:

In a medium bowl combine the ground beef with spices and mix. Form into 4 evenly sized patties. Heat a cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat, then add patties and cook for 8 minutes. Flip and cook another 8 minutes, until both sides are browned and patties are cooked throughout. Remove the patties and set aside; drain remaining fat from pan. Chop onions and jalapeños. Saute the onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes until the onions begin to become translucent, then add the drained mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, paprika and mustard then stir and return patties to pan. Place the flour in a bowl and whisk or use a fork to stir while adding in the beef broth (or bouillon dissolved in water). Pour the broth mix into the pan, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce, or gravy, thickens. To thicken further, combine cornstarch and water and stir in.