9 Strange Facts About A Strange Meat: Salisbury Steak

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9 Strange Facts About A Strange Meat: Salisbury Steak

More than just a blob of protein and gravy.

Published 6 months ago in Wow

Salisbury Steak, the mystery meat that plagued many of our school lunches for years, is more than just a blob of protein and gravy. It’s actually been around since the Civil War and has a long and storied history.

To some, it’s comfort food, and to others, the bane of their existence, but you can’t deny its place in American culinary culture. Take a nostalgic walk down to the cafeteria with us. It’s time to go beyond the TV dinner and learn a few facts about the strangest of American meals.

1
Salisbury Steak was invented to keep soldiers healthy
Dr. James Salisbury, an early germ theory scientist, invented Salisbury Steak as a possible cure for rampant digestive illness in soldiers during the Civil War.

2
It was part of the first fad diet
When Dr. Salisbury invented the Salisbury Steak, he envisioned it as part of a healt diet and outlined it in a popular book. People flocked to the diet, where they were recommended to eat three servings of the ground beef concoction a day, consumed with hot water. If they got tired of Salisbury Steak, they were recommended to substitute boiled mutton. Delicious.

3
It was a food that appealed to European immigrants
In the 1800s, New York City was the most common destination for transatlantic voyages, and many of those voyages originated in Hamburg. As many European immigrants brought their culinary tastes to New York, many restaurants attempted to court their business by offering “Hamburg-style American fillet”. This European-inspired dish was eventually subsumed into the moniker of Salisbury Steak.

4
World War I enshrined the term ‘Salisbury Steak’
Though there are many different words for ground-up or tenderized beef, the Salisbury Steak terminology became standard during World War I. This was because English-speaking countries tried to stop using German sounding words, leading to the Army serving ‘Salisbury Steak’ instead of ‘Hamburg Steak’.

5
It’s had a lot of names, but the original name was the worst
Hamburg Steak, Salisbury Steak, Hamburg-style American fillet, we’ve mentioned a few different names for this staple meal. Some of them roll off the tongue better than others. The worst name has to be James Salisbury’s original name for the dish, though: “muscle pulp of beef.” It wasn’t named Salisbury Steak in his honor until later.

6
Salisbury Steak doesn’t legally have to be fully meat
According to USDA standards, processed and prepackaged Salisbury Steak only has to be 65% meat. Up to 25% of that meat can be pork. Meat byproducts are not permitted, except for beef heart meat, which is allowed.

7
It used to be a breakfast food
In the late 1800s, Hamburg Steaks were a common choice to start the day with. Though it seems crazy today, it was considered a health food, and so a great beginning to the day.

8
It was sometimes served with a raw egg
Salisbury Steak was commonly served at hospitals, due to being considered healthy. It was sometimes even served raw, or slightly cooked with a raw egg.

9
Its popularity depended on the television
Though Salisbury Steak was popular enough in the early 1900s, it didn’t explode in popularity until the 1950s, when its success was strongly tied to TV dinners. It was easy to reheat from frozen, so it was a popular choice for frozen meals. Once TV dinners became less ubiquitous, so too did Salisbury Steak.