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Bobby Flay, host of Discovery Plus' "Bobby + Giada In Italy" and Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay," uses chipotle chiles to add a touch of smoke + heat to his Salisbury steak, paired with classic mashed potatoes + a rich mushroom-bacon gravy. The recipe is from his new book, Beat Bobby Flay, which features dishes from the hit show.
Pro Tip from Bobby: It's really important that the Salisbury steaks have time to braise in the gravy. Mine were not tender enough and that was one of the reasons I lost the battle. Give yourself at least 30 minutes of braising before serving.
Excerpt from Beat Bobby Flay by Bobby Flay. Copyright © 2021 by Boy Meets Grill, Inc. Photographs copyright © 2021 by Ed Anderson. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Used with permission. All rights reversed.
For more recipes from Bobby, check out his Bucatini all'Amatriciana and Ahi Tuna Nachos with Avocado Crema.
For the light chicken stock, combine the backs, wings, feet, onions, celery, carrots, thyme, peppercorns and garlic in a large stockpot and add 6 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and simmer, skimming periodically, for 3 hours.
Strain the stock into another clean large pot or bowl and let cool to room temperature. Set aside 3 cups for the Salisbury steak, then divide the rest into quart containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
For the mashed potatoes, put the potatoes in a large pot, add cold water to cover by 2 inches and season with 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well and return to the pot over high heat for 1 minute to dry out the potatoes a bit. Pass them through a food mill or potato ricer into a large bowl.
Heat the cream, milk and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the liquid is warm, about 5 minutes. Add the mixture to the potatoes and mix until combined. Add more cream and milk, as needed, if the mashed potatoes seem too dry. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm while you prepare the Salisbury steak.
For the Salisbury steak, line a plate with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crispy and the fat has rendered, about 8 minutes. Leaving behind the fat, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to the paper towels to drain.
Heat the rendered bacon fat over high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer the mixture, along with the fat, to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the egg and chipotle to the cooled onion-garlic mixture and mix until combined. Add the meat and the panko, season with salt and pepper and gently mix to combine. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions and form each portion into an oval patty about 1 inch thick. Place the patties on the prepared sheet pan, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
While the meat is chilling, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and the butter in a large high-sided sauté pan over high heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown and their liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour turns a light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, thyme and bacon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the mushroom gravy begins to thicken and the flour taste cooks out, about 8 minutes.
When ready to cook the Salisbury steaks, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the patties and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Carefully transfer the patties to the gravy and cook, spooning the gravy over them occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes.
Serve the Salisbury steaks with mashed potatoes and spoon the gravy over both.