Crazy Good Swiss Steak (Recipe 82 of 125)

Photo from Savory Tooth

This recipe really feels like a recipe you would have seen in the 70's. It uses a relatively inexpensive, and tough, piece of meat and could really serve a small crowd. 

I was curious why it is called "Swiss Steak". Having lived in Switzerland I had never seen this there and so was very confused.  Turns out...

Swiss steak is a method of slow-cooking a relatively tough cut of beef, such as a round steak. The meat is browned, and then braised in a tomato sauce. ... The "Swiss" in Swiss Steak has nothing to do with Switzerland, but refers to the process of tenderizing a tough cut of meat.

So there you go. 

Overall, this recipe was delicious. I'd make this again for sure. In fact, it'd be a great Sunday dinner recipe. 

I did make some modification, but only one. I didn't use beef round cut. I wasn't really sure what beef round cut was - top round? Bottom round? who knows? So I used cubed steak again. Cube steak needs to be braised too, so it was a good choice.

Otherwise I changed nothing! Oh wait...I did change one more thing. I didn't cook this on the stove top because my flat top stove doesn't really every cook on "low". So I dropped this bad boy in a 300F oven for two hours. Worked like a charm.

Crazy Good Swiss Steak

Recipe from Savory Tooth.com

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 pounds beef round cut
• 1/2 c diced onions (1/4-1/2 onion)
• 1/2 c diced carrots (1-2 carrots)
• 1/2 c diced celery (1-2 stalks)
• 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T chopped fresh parsley

Trim the beef of any excess fat, and cut into round slices about 1/2 inch thick. Pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine all dry seasonings and stir to mix well. Add sliced beef and all seasonings to a resealable bag. Toss until the beef is well-coated.

Heat olive oil in a 4 quart or larger dutch oven or pot over medium to medium-high heat for a few minutes until hot. Working in 2 batches: add beef slices in a single layer and brown for about a minute, flip to brown the other side, then transfer to a large bowl.

Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot. Cook for a few minutes until aromatic, stirring frequently.

Add diced tomatoes (including liquid in the can), Worcestershire sauce, and 2/3 cup water. Stir together until well-mixed. Return the beef slices and any bowl drippings to the pot, snugly arranging the beef on top of the vegetables. Evenly distribute mushrooms on top.

Cover with a tightly fitting lid. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 hours, or until the beef is very tender and nearly falling apart.

Uncover and turn off the heat. Transfer only the beef slices onto serving plates. Stir together the vegetables and sauce in the pot, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom, and spoon them over the beef. Top with parsley and serve.