Dale's Minute Steak
What's in a Name?
These days "Kevin" is, if not a common name, not unusual either. But it was unusual when my parents named me that. In fact I only knew of one other "Kevin" until I reached college. So where did my parents get it? From the funny papers.
There was a Prince Valiant-type comic strip in the newspaper named Kevin the Bold and so I was named after a comic strip character. But it gets worse.
They told the owner they were going to name their first son after him but he objected. He was Italian and his name was Josephe Daole and he said neither Josophe nor Daole went well with Weeks. He had a point, there. So instead my parents gave me the middle name of "Dale," which happened to be the name of the new restaurant: Dale's Cellar. Consequently I'm also named after a restaurant.
Joe Dale created a steak sauce for the restaurant and alse called the sauce Dale's. I forget who bought rights to the sauce, but it can now be found all over the country. It's good stuff with a strong soy component.
I don’t ordinarily put steak sauce on good steak because it tends to hide rather than highlight the flavor of the beef, but I have no qualms about putting steak sauce on minute steaks or ground beef and the following is a case in point.
These days "Kevin" is, if not a common name, not unusual either. But it was unusual when my parents named me that. In fact I only knew of one other "Kevin" until I reached college. So where did my parents get it? From the funny papers.
There was a Prince Valiant-type comic strip in the newspaper named Kevin the Bold and so I was named after a comic strip character. But it gets worse.
What I need is a strong drink and a peer group." ~ Ford Prefect, by way of Douglas Adams
Neither of my parents were, nor are, religious so when they got married rather than have the wedding in a church (and deal with their respective parents arguing about which church) they got married in a restaurant. Dad was working there helping a friend of their's get it ready to open while Mom finished getting her Bachelors degree. So the night before the place opened they got married there.They told the owner they were going to name their first son after him but he objected. He was Italian and his name was Josephe Daole and he said neither Josophe nor Daole went well with Weeks. He had a point, there. So instead my parents gave me the middle name of "Dale," which happened to be the name of the new restaurant: Dale's Cellar. Consequently I'm also named after a restaurant.
Joe Dale created a steak sauce for the restaurant and alse called the sauce Dale's. I forget who bought rights to the sauce, but it can now be found all over the country. It's good stuff with a strong soy component.
I don’t ordinarily put steak sauce on good steak because it tends to hide rather than highlight the flavor of the beef, but I have no qualms about putting steak sauce on minute steaks or ground beef and the following is a case in point.
Dale's Minute Steaks
2 ea 6 oz minute steaks or hamburger patties
1/2 lb mushrooms -- sliced
1/2 ea onion -- sliced 1/4" thick
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp Dale's Steak Sauce
pepper to taste
Season minute steaks or patties with black pepper.
Heat oil in a large, covered skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until mushrooms are browned. Remove to a plate. Add a bit more oil if needed and brown minute steaks on both sides. Return mushrooms and onions to skillet, add steak sauce, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook covered for about 4 minutes until steak is completely done. Serves 2.
8 Comments:
I'm right there with you, give me my steak naked, perhaps with a dollop of horseradish, please!
But ground beef, mushrooms, and that sauce, you certainly can't go wrong.
Love the backstory!
Slap that on some egg noodles, and you've practically got Beef Stroganoff!
Yum. I haven't had a minute steak since... Well... I can't remember.
(I went to school with a girl named Kim who said her parents got the idea for the name off the Kleenex box: Kimberley-Clark. You could do worse, Kev.)
S'kat,
It's a dish in the tradition of Mark Twain: "Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside."
CC,
Except that Dale's sauce is nothing like what you would expect in Stroganoff.
FWIW, I really like the origins of both of my names -- much better than being named after an uncle or my father.
That's a great story!
I never really cared for my name. But some years ago, my mom told me what my dad had wanted to call me: Rosie or Queenie.
Think about that.
I had to be happy she won.
Stephanie,
"Queenie?" I'd rather not think about it.
Kevin
Great story, never heard it before from my dad, Joe Daole or my mom. resturant in Birmingham was great, also in Atlanta. Still eating the steak sauce, it's great on everything.
Hi, Kevin. I was also named after Kevin the Bold. So, at least you've got some good company. I have a feeling that many Kevin's from the 50's and 60's were named after the comic strip. I like my name and I'm glad my parents had some sort of inspiration other than just a common family name. Take care,
Kevin
You were named after my grandfather. Yes, Joe Daole... One of the greatest things that ever happened to restaurants in atlanta, georgia. just thought that was interesting...
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