Name: Surry Ground Steak Sandwiches
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar; ½ teaspoon table salt; ⅛ teaspoon pepper; 1½ cups shredded green cabbage; 6 hamburger buns; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted; 1 pound 80 percent ground beef; 1¾ teaspoons pepper; 1 teaspoon table salt; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; ¾ cup water; ¼ cup mayonnaise; 6 tomato slices

Why This Recipe Works

People from Surry County, North Carolina, know this sandwich as ground steak. Out of necessity, this melt-in-your-mouth variation of a hamburger was created by local cooks as a way to increase the amount of food they could produce from a pound of ground beef. This simple affair is traditionally made by boiling or browning ground beef and then adding flour along with water or milk. The mixture is merely seasoned with salt and ample pepper and then topped with a swipe (or more) of mayonnaise, a fresh tomato slice, and a sweet coleslaw. To achieve the sandwich's trademark texture, we cooked 80 percent lean ground beef in a cast-iron skillet and broke it down into a fine, uniform texture using a potato masher. Then, we added just enough flour and water to create a soft, cohesive mixture that stayed put when placed on a soft, butter-toasted hamburger bun.

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Before You Begin

You will need 6 to 8 ounces of cabbage to yield 1½ cups of shredded cabbage. We prefer to use the shredding disk on a food processor, but you can also use the large holes of a box grater. We like to serve these sandwiches with finely chopped onion and yellow mustard.

Instructions

for the slaw

Whisk mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper together in medium bowl. Add cabbage and toss to coat; refrigerate until ready to use.

for the sandwiches

Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place bun halves cut sides up on baking sheet. Brush bun halves with melted butter and broil until lightly toasted, about 1 minute; set aside.

Cook beef, pepper, and salt in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until beef is no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Mash beef with potato masher until fine-textured, about 1 minute.

Sprinkle flour over beef and cook, stirring constantly, until flour has been absorbed, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in water and cook, scraping up any flour sticking to pan, until mixture has thickened and becomes cohesive, 2 to 4 minutes.

Spread mayonnaise evenly on bun bottoms. Divide beef mixture among bun bottoms, then top with tomato slices, coleslaw, and bun tops. Serve.