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My father ate my grandmother’s poor man’s steak all through the hard years and never once knew it wasn’t real steak, not until he was a grown man with his own family. She never told him. She said a supper doesn’t need to tell you what it cost. One package of ground beef, stretched with crushed crackers and milk, pressed into a pan and left in the icebox overnight, then cut into neat steaks, browned hard and baked slow in a brown mushroom gravy. Six people ate from it, over mashed potatoes, and nobody went to bed hungry.
The trick that makes poor man’s steak work is the overnight rest. Ground beef mixed with soaked crackers sets firm in the cold, which lets you cut it into steaks that hold together like the real thing. Skip the rest and you get crumbles in gravy. Here is how to keep the steaks from falling apart in the skillet, and how to make the brown gravy in the same pan so it picks up every bit of flavor.
Why this poor man’s steak works
- Crackers and milk. Soaked cracker crumbs stretch the beef, keep it tender and hold the juices in.
- Pressed and chilled overnight. The cold sets the mixture firm so it slices cleanly into steaks.
- A light coat of flour. Flour on each steak makes a crust that holds it together in the skillet and later thickens the gravy.
- Browned hard, turned once. A deep crust on both sides gives the steaks their flavor and their shape.
- Baked in gravy. Slow baking finishes the steaks gently and lets them soak up the mushroom gravy.
Ingredients
Serves 6, about 9 steaks, from one 9x9 inch pan. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the steaks
- 1 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (about 25 crackers, 75g)
- 1 cup whole milk (240ml)
- 2 pounds ground beef (900g), 80 to 85 percent lean
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60g), for dusting
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for browning
For the mushroom gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces mushrooms (225g), sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth (600ml)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Saltine crackers are traditional, but any plain unsweetened cracker works. Grate the onion so it melts into the beef instead of leaving chunks that break the steaks apart.
How to make poor man’s steak
The day before
- Stir the crushed crackers into the milk in a large bowl and let them soak for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the ground beef, grated onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix gently with your hands until evenly combined. Do not knead it hard, or the steaks turn tough.
- Line a 9x9 inch pan with plastic wrap or parchment. Press the beef mixture into the pan in an even, firm layer, pressing hard into the corners.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours, until firm.
The next day
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Lift the chilled beef out of the pan and cut it into 9 squares.
- Spread the flour on a plate and dust each steak lightly on all sides.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the steaks in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning only once, until a dark crust forms. They do not need to be cooked through. Move them to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Pour off all but a thin film of fat. Lower the heat to medium, add the butter, mushrooms and onion, and cook for 8 minutes until brown and soft, scraping up the browned bits.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the broth, stirring, and add the sauce. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Pour the gravy over the steaks. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the steaks are tender and the gravy bubbles. Serve over mashed potatoes.
Tips that make the difference
- Press the mixture firmly into the pan. Air pockets are what make the steaks break later.
- Chill the cut steaks for 15 minutes before browning if your kitchen is warm.
- Use a thin metal spatula to turn the steaks; it slides under the crust without tearing it.
- If the gravy gets too thick in the oven, stir in a splash of broth before serving.
Variations
- Onion gravy. Leave out the mushrooms and use two onions, cooked slowly until deep brown.
- Oat version. Use quick oats instead of crackers, the way some families did.
- Stovetop. Return the browned steaks to the skillet, cover and simmer in the gravy for 30 minutes on low.
- Half batch. Use 1 pound of beef and half of everything, pressed into a loaf pan.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze the steaks in their gravy for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat covered at 350 degrees.
Reheat on the stove over low heat with a splash of broth.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called poor man’s steak?
Because it was a way to make one package of cheap ground beef look and eat like steak for a whole family in hard times.
Do I have to chill it overnight?
Eight hours is best. With less time the mixture is soft and the steaks can fall apart in the skillet.
Can I use another kind of ground meat?
Ground turkey works, but it is softer, so add a few more cracker crumbs and chill it well.
What do I serve with poor man’s steak?
Mashed potatoes for the gravy, and green beans or corn on the side.
Cut it, brown it, bake it in gravy, and do as my grandmother did: never tell anybody at the table what it cost.
Poor Man's Steak (Ground Beef Steaks Baked in Brown Mushroom Gravy)
Old-fashioned poor man's steak: ground beef stretched with crushed crackers and milk, pressed into a pan and chilled overnight, cut into steaks, browned in a skillet and baked slow in a brown mushroom gravy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely crushed saltine crackers
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 pounds ground beef (900g), 80 to 85 percent lean
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60g), for dusting
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for browning
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces mushrooms (225g), sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Stir the crushed crackers into the milk in a large bowl and let them soak for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the ground beef, grated onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix gently with your hands until evenly combined. Do not knead it hard, or the steaks turn tough.
- Line a 9x9 inch pan with plastic wrap or parchment. Press the beef mixture into the pan in an even, firm layer, pressing hard into the corners.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours, until firm.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Lift the chilled beef out of the pan and cut it into 9 squares.
- Spread the flour on a plate and dust each steak lightly on all sides.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the steaks in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning only once, until a dark crust forms. They do not need to be cooked through. Move them to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Pour off all but a thin film of fat. Lower the heat to medium, add the butter, mushrooms and onion, and cook for 8 minutes until brown and soft, scraping up the browned bits.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the broth, stirring, and add the sauce. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Pour the gravy over the steaks. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the steaks are tender and the gravy bubbles. Serve over mashed potatoes.
