A Colorful History

• Despite its humdrum appearance, Salisbury steak has rather an interesting backstory. It's named for James Henry Salisbury, a 19th-century scientist and physician who proposed a sort of proto-Atkins diet to promote digestive health. He concluded that fruits, vegetables and especially starchy foods were indigestible for humans -- the benefits of fiber being unknown at that point -- and promoted the consumption of "beef muscle pulp," or lean ground beef, as the ultimate health food. Patties of ground beef came to be known as Salisbury steak in his honor by the late 19th century and became a staple of TV dinners in the 1950s and '60s.

The Modern-Day Salisbury

• Dr. Salisbury's original version of the shaped hamburger patty was almost all beef, with just a few seasonings to flavor it. The modern version isn't as lean as Salisbury would prefer -- commercial versions can legally be up to 30 percent fat -- and recipes commonly include starchy fillers such as breadcrumbs. Chefs periodically participate in comfort-food fads, coming up with creative and upscale versions of blue-collar dishes such as Salisbury steak, but home recipes lean more to convenience. A basic and much-used version adds just breadcrumbs and egg to the beef and seasons the mixture with a package of onion soup mix. It's typically served with mushroom gravy and a mound of potatoes that would infuriate the starch-loathing Dr. Salisbury.

Picking Your Beef

• Dr. Salisbury's preference for lean beef foretold the modern discomfort with saturated animal fats, so choosing lean or extra-lean beef is both historically authentic and in keeping with modern thinking. Ordinary ground beef typically includes meat from various parts of the animal, including the shanks, chuck, round and even -- sometimes -- the heart. You can control the flavor and leanness somewhat by asking your butcher for specific forms of ground. Ground round, for example, is especially lean but somewhat bland in flavor. Ground chuck has excellent flavor, but tends to be fatty. Ask the butcher for lean chuck, or a combination of chuck and round, that keeps the total fat content low.

Making Your Steak

• Whether you opt for a traditional soup-mix version or a celebrity chef's complicated recipe, the technique for making Salisbury steak is pretty straightforward. Place your beef and seasonings in a bowl, add the egg and breadcrumbs, and mix gently. Shape the beef into steak-sized patties and brown them in a skillet or on your grill, then simmer them in gravy or an alternative sauce until they're tender, flavorful and well done. Salisbury steak is especially flavorful when prepared a day ahead, which permits its flavors to mature and mingle. Preparing the dish a day ahead of cooking provides an opportunity to remove any surplus fat, which pools and hardens at the top when refrigerated.