Country Style Steak ***

Dh absolutely loves country-fried steak, but I hate frying things.  This looked like a nice substitute.  It was actually really good.  Nothing special by any means, but very comforting and filling.  I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans, and it rounded out the meal perfectly.  The only thing I might do next time is cut back the salt a bit.  We're not big salt-lovers, so it was a little overly-salty to me.  Other than that, though, it was perfect!

Photo courtesy of Recipezaar.com

COUNTRY STYLE STEAK
(*NoDayButToday* via Hillbilly Housewife)

Steak:
2 pounds ground beef
3 tablespoons dry onions
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons flour

Gravy:
2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups beef broth (made from bouillon cubes is fine)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Dash pepper

Begin by preparing the steaks. In a cereal bowl combine the flour, salt and pepper. Mix it up with a fork to distribute the seasonings evenly. Measure 1/4 cup of the seasoned flour, and set the rest aside until later. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, dry onions and the 1/4 cup of seasoned flour you just measured. Use your hands to combine it like meatloaf. Pat the meat flat into a 9" by 13" rectangular pan. The meat will be very thin. Score or cut the meat into 16 squares with a knife or a pizza cutter. Take the reserved seasoned flour and pat it on top of the meat. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. The meat will shrink up, and there will be a lot of fat floating in the pan. Carefully drain off the fat and recut the squares.
Prepare the gravy while the meat is cooking. Melt the margarine in a small skillet. Add the flour. Cook and stir this for a few minutes over low heat so that the flour browns a little bit, watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. This will make the finished gravy a pretty and appetizing brown color. After the flour is the color of coffee with cream added, stir in the beef broth. Usually I just add two cups of water and 2 beef bouillon cubes. Also add the onion powder and a sprinkle of pepper. Stir the gravy until it is smooth and bring it to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes, or until it is slightly thickened, but still a little thin. The gravy is thin because this makes it easier for the meat to absorb it some. Pour the prepared gravy over the steaks in the pan, after you have drained off the fat. Serve with instant mashed potatoes, green beans, canned peaches, and butter-bread. This recipe serves 6.
If desired, you can make a double batch. After cooking everything, arrange the cooked meat in a freezer to microwave container. Cover the meat with the gravy and freeze for a month or two. This is almost like the frozen Salisbury Steaks available in family size packages at the market. These are a lot healthier though, and much less expensive too.