Cooking with Rod

By Rod Cohenour

         This is one of my favorite meals, as prepared by my sweet wife, Melinda. She first prepared this for me when we lived in Guthrie, Oklahoma, some 25 years ago. She was kind enough to provide the recipe to me and I must give her credit for it.

         We have so many fond memories of our time in Guthrie at the old home place known as Yonder Hills. It was a wonderful time with family and friends in a beautiful place and this recipe reminds me of all those things.

         Bon appetit!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground round steak
• ½ tsp. Celery Salt
• ½ tsp. Ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 large onions, prefer Vidalia or Spanish, sliced ¼” to ½” thick
• 1 15 oz. can Beef broth, unsalted
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 stick butter
• ½ cup flour
• ½ tsp. Ground black pepper
• 1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup mix
• Water as required by soup mix

Instructions:

1.   Season ground round steak (best flavor!) with celery salt, black pepper and a scant sprinkle of garlic powder. Brown well on first side in preheated heavy skillet.

2.   Turn and top with a couple of large onions, sliced ¼” to ½” thick. Pour in the dash of Worcestershire sauce and a cup or so of beef broth. Cover to smother and let onion flavor infuse the steaks.

3.   When browned well on second side, remove onions and meat from skillet.

4.   Stir pan with wooden spoon to scrape browned goodies from the bottom of the pan.

5.   Add a stick of butter and stir while it melts.

6.   Add half cup of flour, season with a dash of ground pepper and stir while it thickens and flour roux loses its raw flour flavor.

7.   Now, I add a package of Lipton onion soup mix and the amount of water it requires. Stir thoroughly until soup mix is done.

8.   To this add the caramelized onions previously removed from pan. Stir to heat. Serve this gravy over ground round steaks and mashed potatoes.

This meal is perfected by a cold crisp salad and bacon seasoned green beans, hot rolls with butter and iced tea.