Is there a revival of Salisbury steak going on in American kitchens?  The dish might not be high on the list of recipe revivalists who savor the nostalgia of old-school American cooking, but it’s been a quiet staple in home kitchens for years.

And there it was in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal’s “Off-Duty” section published on Saturdays.  The food pages–along with the stories on $20,000 watches, $10,000 men’s blazers and other rigors of the serious sybarite—hold a lot of interest for food ideas.  One weekly column that I look at always is “Slow Food Fast,” a feature that focuses on recipes from restaurant chefs around the country.

Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy

Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy

Last week a recipe for Salisbury steak (see original recipe WSJ link) was from chefs Matt Danzer and Anne Redding whose two New York restaurants are Uncle Boons and Mr. Donahue’s; the latter often serves Salisbury steak on its menu of retro classics.

What is Salisbury steak anyway?  It was invented by a Dr. Salisbury in 1905 who was an early proponent of low-carb dieting for weight loss.

I made the recipe and it was a huge success. It’s a lighter, more refined version of the classic prep, which is often heavy with bread-crumb filler.  Though I’m not sure it’s about to be a constant firm family favorite in my household, it was nevertheless something different and delicious. I’ll prepare it again  at a dinner for friends as a satisfying main course.

Basically it’s a large hamburger or small meatloaf molded into patties shaped like a steak.  Serve it with mashed potatoes (or pureed celeriac or cauliflower if you’re low-carbing it) and plenty of mushroom gravy over it all.

s.