Salisbury Steaks With Vegetable Sauce

Preparation

1. Step 1

   To make the meat mixture, heat the oil in a saucepan. When hot, add the onion and celery and cook for 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat, until they are softened slightly. Set aside.

2. Step 2

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Step 3

   Core but do not peel the apples. Cut them into a ½-inch pieces. (You should have about 2 cups.) Add to the onion and celery mixture and set aside.

4. Step 4

   Place the meat in a large bowl. Add the onion-celery-apple mixture to it and mix in with the eggs, garlic, salt and pepper.

5. Step 5

   For the bread crumbs, tear the slices of bread into large pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Process until crumbed. You should have 1½ cups. Add to the meat mixture and mix well to incorporate.

6. Step 6

   Dampen your hands with water and form the mixture into 6 large patties, each weighing approximately ½-pound. Arrange in a large roasting pan so there is a little space between the "steaks," and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

7. Step 7

   Meanwhile, make the sauce: Coarsely chop the peeled carrots and onion in a food processor or by hand (to yield a 2-cup mixture). Place in a saucepan with 2 cups of water, the soy sauce, pepper, tomato paste, Tabasco and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and boil gently for 5 minutes.

8. Step 8

   When the steaks have cooked for 20 minutes, remove from the oven. They will probably stick to the bottom of the pan so you can incline the pan and pour out most of the accumulated fat around them. Spoon the sauce over and around the steaks and place them back in the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.