Bargain Pepper Steak

DEAR SOS: Would you print the recipe for Poor Man’s Pepper Steak served at the Dal Rae Restaurant in Pico Rivera? I really would appreciate it.

LUCY COLE

La Habra

DEAR LUCY: So would countless others who love pepper steak. The only difference between this version and classic pepper steak is the use of ground beef patties instead of a slab of sirloin or New York steak. You’ll need to use brown sauce, a standard in any Continental kitchen and the base for all pepper steaks. You can purchase brown sauce frozen or canned in supermarkets and gourmet food stores, but we’ve provided a simple recipe too.

POOR MAN’S PEPPER STEAK

2 pounds ground beef

Coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/4 cup diced white onion

4 cups chopped green onions, mostly white parts

1 cup chopped bacon

3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped black peppercorns

3/4 cup brown sauce

Shape ground beef into 4 (8-ounce) oblong patties about 1 inch thick. Press layer of coarsely ground black pepper on both sides of patties.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and diced onion and pan-fry, turning once, about 8 minutes for medium rare, 9 to 10 minutes for medium and 11 to 12 minutes for well done. Remove from heat and set aside.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in another skillet over medium heat. Add green onions, bacon and chopped black pepper and saute until bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Reheat patties in skillet. Top each patty with brown sauce and 3 tablespoons bacon-onion mixture. Serve at once.

4 servings. Each serving:

652 calories; 547 mg sodium; 169 mg cholesterol; 54 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 33 grams protein; 0.48 gram fiber.

Squaw Bread

DEAR SOS: I would love to have the recipe for squaw bread as served at a chain steakhouse.

KAREN CHRISTIANSON

Huntington Beach

DEAR KAREN: The quantity recipe for the squaw bread served at restaurants and bakeries throughout Southern California is a special formula mix for bakery use and is not available to the general public. However, we have printed a similar squaw bread recipe developed by Marilyn Martell, a schoolteacher and frequent county fair blue-ribbon winner, that is almost indiscernible from the restaurant version.

MARILYN MARTELL’S SQUAW BREAD

2 cups water

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup raisins

5 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

2 (1/4-ounce) packages dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, about

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups rye flour

1/2 cup nonfat milk powder

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Oil

Cornmeal

2 tablespoons melted butter

Process water, oil, honey, raisins and 1/4 cup brown sugar in blender until liquefied.

Soften yeast with remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar in warm water. Sift together 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup rye flour, nonfat milk powder and salt in large bowl. Add honey mixture and yeast mixture. Beat until smooth with electric mixer on medium speed, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in enough of remaining flours to make soft dough that pulls away from sides of bowl.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny, 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough in lightly greased bowl and turn so all of surface is greased. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down and let rest 10 minutes. Shape into 4 round loaves. Place 2 loaves on each of 2 lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove to racks to cool. Brush with melted butter while still hot.

4 loaves. Each of 24 servings:

190 calories; 277 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.40 gram fiber.

Cook’s Tip

To make a simplified brown sauce, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup demi-glace (often sold in the freezer section of many markets) and 3/4 cup beef broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until broth is reduced and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.