Swiss Steak
Swiss Steak is one of those meals that I remember from my childhood but that I haven’t seen or heard of for many years. Maybe it’s just gone out of fashion, I bet you could find a recipe in a Better Homes and Garden cook book, circa 1963 though. (Oh my gosh! I just looked it up and it’s there!)
I recently prepared a Swiss Steak, not because I was remenissing about the good old days, but because I had purchased a large grass-fed top sirloin steak with very little fat that I suspected could be tough if cooked like a traditional steak. I also had little time to prepare dinner and my husband was due home from a tiring day and I knew he would be hungry. My idea about Swiss Steak also allowed me to use an electric frying pan where the sum total of all my efforts in preparation was under 20 minutes.
For those who are unfamiliar with Swiss Steak, it is a braised steak dredged in flour. The liquid includes diced tomatoes and the long cooking time tenderizes the meat and reduces the sauce to a very flavorful finish. The steak takes about an hour and a half to cook but once placed in the pan, there is nothing to do but wait for it to perfect itself.
Swiss Steak is great served with white rice.
Swiss Steak
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2-2lbs round steak, trimmed of fat
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Gluten-free flour
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1-1/2 cups gf beef broth
Directions:
Cut the meat into 4 pieces and pound with a meat tenderizing mallet. Season both sides of meat with salt and pepper. Spoon about ½ cup of gf flour onto a dinner plate and dredge meat pieces with flour on both sides. Add oil to an electric frying pan set to 350 degrees or to a large heavy skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add meat pieces. Brown on both sides then remove to a plate. Add a little more oil if necessary and when hot, add onions, garlic and celery. Saute for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth and stir to blend. Return meat to pan; cover, reduce heat to 250 for an electric frying pan or low on the stove. Cook for 1-1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls apart. If liquid evaporates during cooking, add more broth. Stir and scrap up browned bits and spoon sauce over meat to serve. Simple, delicious and satisfying.
- Chef Yvonne
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