What is Poor Man's Steak? If you've never tasted poor mans steak before, then let me be the first to introduce you to this old-fashioned comfort food.
Imagine a thick, juicy hamburger patty dipped in flour, fried in butter, and then smothered in a rich mushroom gravy. That pretty much sums up Amish poor man's steak. It's a simple smothered hamburger steak that's hearty, filling, and full of flavor. Even though the name might make it sound like plain food for hard times, let me assure you - this dish is downright delicious.
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Ingredients
Hamburger patties:
- Finely Crushed Saltine Cracker Crumbs act as a binder to hold the patties together while keeping them tender. (Feel free to try different types of crackers or breadcrumbs for varied texture and flavor.)
- Milk adds moisture so the patties stay juicy. (Half and half can be used for a richer texture.)
- Onion adds flavor. (Finely chopped yellow, white, red, or green onions all work well.)
- Salt enhances overall flavor. (I prefer sea salt.)
- Black Pepper adds mild heat and depth.
- Chili Powder adds a subtle warmth and depth of flavor. (Smoked paprika can be used instead.)
- Garlic Powder gives a savory flavor. (Fresh minced garlic can be used for a stronger taste.)
- All-Purpose Flour (for dipping) creates a light crust when fried and helps the patties hold together. (Cornmeal or panko could be used for a different texture.)
- Butter (for frying) adds rich flavor. (A mix of butter and oil works well if you want a higher frying temperature.)
Gravy:
- Cream of Mushroom Soup forms the base of the gravy, giving it a creamy texture and savory flavor.
- Milk thins the soup into a smooth gravy. Adjust the amount to reach your preferred consistency.
How to Make Poor Man's Steak with Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Prepare the Mixture:
- Place crackers in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin, or use a food processor.
- Mix the hamburger, crushed saltine cracker crumbs, chopped onion, milk, and seasonings in a large bowl.
- Shape the Patties:
- Form the mixture into eight thick hamburger patties.
- Optionally, refrigerate the patties for a while to make them easier to handle. You can also refrigerate them overnight if preparing ahead of time.
- Melt the Butter:
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium/high heat.
- Coat the Patties:
- Dip each patty in flour, coating both sides.
- Sear the Patties:
- Fry the patties in the skillet for several minutes on each side until nicely browned. This step is to sear the patties, not to fully cook them.
- Prepare for Baking:
- Place the seared patties into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Make the Sauce:
- In a bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup with one soup can of milk. Feel free to use homemade cream of mushroom soup if desired.
- Bake the Patties:
- Pour the soup mixture over the top of the hamburger patties.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about one hour.
- Serve:
- Remove from the oven and serve hot.
What Kind of Burger Should I Use?
I prefer a mixture of ground round (85/15) and ground chuck (80/20) to make these hamburger steak patties. The combination of these two offers the perfect balance of juiciness with the right amount of fat.
You can also use other kinds of burger besides beef for this recipe. If you are fortunate enough to have deer or elk meat in your freezer, go ahead and make it with whatever you have on hand.
Deer burger is not my favorite because of the wild gamey flavor, but I will still use it if we manage to get some. And honestly, I can't tell that much difference if it's meat from a young doe. However, venison is typically on the dry side, so I often mix a pound of ground chuck with a pound of venison.
Why Is it Called Poor Man's Steak?
As most of you already know, a good steak is very expensive. I can't say for sure why this recipe is called "Poor Man's Steak", but I'm guessing that someone thought it tasted just as good as a steak.
This recipe is made with ground hamburger, and hamburger is a lot cheaper than steak cuts. So they decided it was hamburger steak that poor people could afford to eat.
(If you're trying to stretch your grocery budget, I've put together a roundup of 23 dirt cheap recipes to feed a large family that are filling, simple, and easy on the wallet.)
Smothered Hamburger Steak
Growing up on an Amish dairy farm, we always had plenty of our own beef in the freezer. Whenever we butchered a cow, we tried to get all the roasts we could, and then we ground most of the rest of the meat into hamburger.
A lot of people would try to get all the steaks out of the beef that was possible. But our family did not often eat steak, so we only saved a few steak cuts.
My mom and dad both had false teeth, and I guess they aren't as good for chewing as your own teeth. So my dad always complained that steak was too tough to chew. And my mom seldom cooked something that dad didn't like. Therefore, steak was not really part of our diet, but we all enjoyed this poor man's steak.
I enjoy a good juicy steak now and then, but I'm not a huge fan either. I honestly prefer a good smothered chicken breast or poor man's steak over a grilled steak.
What to Serve With Poor Man's Steak
Poor man's steak is yummy served with mashed potatoes. You can use the mushroom sauce as gravy for your potatoes. And if you want extra gravy, add two cans of cream of mushroom.
Poor Man's Steak would also be delicious served over buttered noodles. Add a side lettuce salad, coleslaw, cucumber salad, or creamed peas for a hearty and filling dinner.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Amish Poor Man's Steak. If you get to try it, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
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📖 Recipe Card
Amish Poor Man's Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb. hamburger
- 1 c. saltine cracker crumbs (about 28 crackers)
- 1 scant c. milk
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ - ½ c. flour, for dipping
- 3 Tbs. butter, for frying
Gravy:
- 1 or 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 soup can full of milk (about 1 ½ cups)
Instructions
- Mix the cracker crumbs, milk, onion, and seasonings. Add the burger and mix to combine.2 lb. hamburger, 1 c. saltine cracker crumbs (about 28 crackers), 1 scant c. milk, ½ small onion, finely chopped, 1 ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. black pepper, ½ tsp. chili powder, ½ tsp. garlic powder
- Shape the meat mixture into thick burger patties. It makes eight.
- Roll the patties in flour.¼ - ½ c. flour, for dipping
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Fry the patties over medium/high heat for a few minutes on each side to give them a nice sear.3 Tbs. butter, for frying
- Place the browned patties into a 9 x 13" baking dish.
- Mix cream of mushroom soup and milk. Pour over the patties.1 or 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, 1 soup can full of milk (about 1 ½ cups)
- Bake, covered, at 350° for 50 - 55 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking for another 10 minutes.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.
Jane
Best comfort food ever.
Some tips for others to try: I double the gravy recipe and add 2 packs brown gravy and 2 packs of French onion soup mix. Adding that made the gravy have a lot more flavor and depth. I also.sautee fresh mushrooms and cut up onion slivers to add to the mixture. 😋
Anna
Awesome!
D Lavoie
Are you kidding me with this? No way did the burger patties stay together. BIG mess. I ended up just frying it as one big thing. Has to be something missing in the recipe. I subbed Panko for saltines as I did not have them. Maybe I should have added an egg?
Anna
Hmm... not sure why this happened for you. I am sorry!! Maybe the Panko didn't soak up the milk like saltines would?? I've never had an issue.
Anna
I made this dish tonight and it was a big hit. It was very tasty. Thank you!
Anna
Glad you enjoyed it!
Melinda Zinda
Would you have the directions on how to can this? I know it wouldn't be USDA approved due to some of the ingredients, but have heard that Amish do can this. I know that Amish recipes for canning do not always adhere to USDA and that they have been canning and eating the food for years. Thanks.
Anna
I do not have directions. My mom used to can meat all the time, but I have never canned meat.
Anna
Delicious!!
Jennifer Theisler
Think deer burger would work?
Anna
Yes, it should work. Although, deer burger is a little dry. I often mix deer burger with a pound of ground beef so there's more moisture. If using only deer, you may want to cut back a little on the amount of cracker crumbs.
Pearl
So happy to have found your recipe. Perfect casserole/comfort food after Thanksgiving. I craved beef after all the turkey leftovers and this satisfied my cravings. Easy to get supper done too!
Thank you! Gonna see what other recipes you have.
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. So glad you enjoyed it!
Brandi T.
My family and I absolutely love this recipe! We made noodles and potatoes because we have 1 that refuses to eat noodles lol. My husband took 1 for the team and tasted a steak on both and he couldn't choose.... lol both amazing he said!
Anna
So glad you enjoy it!
Carolyn Otis
I love the way you added the amounts of the ingredients in the instructions. I'm always scrolling back up, can't remember the measurements! Great and helpful idea!
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind comment. I appreciate not having to scroll back and forth myself.
Barb
Do you think it would be ok to use beef broth instead of water?
Anna
Absolutely.
Abigail
Soft tasting yes but lacks a lot of flavor sadly.
Anna
I'm sorry you feel that way! Could always add extra seasonings. Lots of Amish recipes stick with basic seasonings.
Abby
It turned out tasty. The patties were very moist. It won't become a very regular thing we'll have, but it will be something we make once in while.
Tammy Zavala
My mother used to make this dish as I was growing up. I loved this dish but never thought to ask mom how to make it. Sadly she passed in 2009 and I have been searching for this recipe ever since. Your recipe is spot on! It tast exactly how I remember it tasting! Thank you so much for sharing.
Anna
I'm happy to help! Glad it was what you were looking for!
Bob F.
So easy and delicious!! The whole family loved it.
Anna
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!