Best known in our time as a staple of TV dinners and bargain buffets, the Salisbury Steak actually has its beginnings as a proposed cure for digestive illness during the Civil War. Far from the nuisance it is in the US today, digestive illnesses killed more soldiers during the Civil War than combat did, and a diet rich in beefsteak and coffee was one suggested cure. The inventor of the Salisbury Steak, Dr. James Henry Salisbury, born near Cortland, New York, was an early pioneer of germ theory, and of diet being a factor in health. While some of his ideas may be outmoded today, such as his belief that vegetables released powerful toxins in the digestive system, his affection for beefsteak and his promotion of its positive effect on health, has persisted. While patties of ground or tenderized beef are common fare, the Salisbury Steak was cemented in the American lexicon during World War I. In many English-speaking countries, there was a movement to limit the use of German-sounding words, so the Army served Salisbury Steak rather than Hamburg Steak, and Liberty Sandwiches instead of Hamburgers.
Salisbury steak is named after Dr. James Henry Salisbury, who touted the nutrition factor of minced beef patties in the 1800s. Dr. Salisbury researched the health effects of eating ground beef on soldiers during the Civil War, noting that this type of beef was easily digestible and, therefore, led to overall health.
Best known in our time as a staple of TV dinners and bargain buffets, the Salisbury Steak actually has its beginnings as a proposed cure for digestive illness during the Civil War. Far from the nuisance it is in the US today, digestive illnesses killed more soldiers during the Civil War than combat did, and a diet rich in beefsteak and coffee was one suggested cure. The inventor of the Salisbury Steak, Dr. James Henry Salisbury, born near Cortland, New York, was an early pioneer of germ theory, and of diet being a factor in health. While some of his ideas may be outmoded today, such as his belief that vegetables released powerful toxins in the digestive system, his affection for beefsteak and his promotion of its positive effect on health, has persisted. While patties of ground or tenderized beef are common fare, the Salisbury Steak was cemented in the American lexicon during World War I. In many English-speaking countries, there was a movement to limit the use of German-sounding words, so the Army served Salisbury Steak rather than Hamburg Steak, and Liberty Sandwiches instead of Hamburgers.
When Salisbury’s book was published, two decades after the end of the war, his ideas caused a sensation. An Englishwoman named Elma Stuart extolled the healing virtues of the Salisbury diet in a book described by one observer as being “written in a popular and racy style,” helping to publicize the mincemeat regimen. For about two decades the diet—not that different, when you think of it, from extreme versions of the low-carb diets of recent years—was all the rage.
After 30 years of research Dr. Salisbury finally published his ideas, setting off one of the earliest American fad diets
Did the intrepid scientist stop there? Of course not! In 1858 he enlisted six other schlemiels to come live with him and eat nothing but baked beans. He did not mention whether he had a wife who had to put up with seven flatulent, dizzy mopes in her home; my guess is no. Later he and four other guys subsisted solely on oatmeal porridge for 30 days. Other single-food experiments followed, leading him to the conclusion that lean beef, minced to break down any connective tissue and fully cooked, was the best and most easily digested food. By the time the Civil War started, in 1861, he was ready to test his theories on suffering soldiers.
I can picture it now: two oblong ground beef patties taking a gravy bath, neatly sequestered in their aluminum compartment to prevent the sauce from bleeding onto the tater tots, pea-and-carrot medley or, most importantly, the apple dessert. A meal for a Hungry Man—or a child of the 1970s with an unsophisticated palate. (I considered TV dinners a treat when I was a kid, especially the ones with built-in dessert.)
The phrase “Salisbury steak” no longer sets off my salivary glands—quite the opposite—but it’s a lot more appetizing than how Dr. James Henry Salisbury described the dish before it was named after him: “muscle pulp of beef.”
The Strange Truth About Salisbury Steak
FAQ
What is difference between Salisbury steak and hamburger steak?
Why is it called Salisbury?
Where does Salisbury steak come from Rick and Morty?
Why is Salisbury steak so good?
What is Salisbury steak?
Salisbury steak is a dish originating in the United States and made from a blend of ground beef and other ingredients, being considered a version of Hamburg steak.
Why was Salisbury steak so popular during the Civil War?
Dr. Salisbury researched the health effects of eating ground beef on soldiers during the Civil War, noting that this type of beef was easily digestible and, therefore, led to overall health. Although these claims may be disputed today, Salisbury’s research was well-received, and Salisbury steak eventually became a staple on many dinner tables.
Did you know Salisbury steak was a popular food in America?
Did you know that Salisbury Steak got its start as a famous food in America, when it was used as stand-by high-protein meals for soldiers during the American Civil War? It makes sense, when you think about it, because of the nutritional content of the meat and the fast preparation time.
Was Salisbury steak a’muscle pulp of beef’?
He christened his steak creation as “muscle pulp of beef”, but what the 19th-century medical professional may not have realized was that his proposed diet food — which would later be named Salisbury steak in his honor — would become a cornerstone of TV dinners for generations.