Thursday, February 22, 2007

Swiss steak

Tonight's Menu
  • Swiss steak
  • mashed potatoes
  • leftover big-ass salad
When I was a kid my dad did about 30% of the cooking, and one of his specialties was Swiss steak. He made his in the crockpot with a tomato-based vegetable gravy featuring onions, celery and peppers (all of which usually came from his garden). It was absolutely delicious.

When I first started cooking for DH and he mentioned that he liked Swiss steak, we quickly discovered that we had completely different ideas of what the dish entailed. He insisted that the Swiss steak his mom had made involved a brown gravy, no tomatoes or veggies. Unfortunately she had passed away so we couldn't ask her. For the longest time I thought DH was confusing Swiss steak and Salisbury steak, but then I finally found a recipe for a version of Swiss steak like his mom used to make.

You basically take some round steak (I buy the pre-tenderized kind), cut it into serving-sized pieces, and dredge them in seasoned flour. Then you pound them a bit (I use the side of a saucer) to work the flour in. Brown them in a little vegetable oil, then layer them into a casserole dish with some sliced onion. Pour over two cups of water and sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, then cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 2 to 2.5 hours or until the meat is very tender. Remove the meat and onions to a serving platter, then add the drippings to some beef broth and flour in a saucepan. Whisk over medium-high heat until the gravy is nice and thick, season to taste, then serve it with the meat and onions. It's VERY yummy with mashed potatoes.

I still like my dad's Swiss steak, but I have to admit this recipe is pretty damn good!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My grandmother made this version of Swiss Steak for my father, and she taught my mother how to make it. It became our special occasion dinner...Xmas, birthdays, etc.
My mother died five years ago. Luckily, when I apprenticed with a chef, I was encouraged to write down my family recipes.
I am cooking this tomorrow for my Dad, and my 9 year old daughter will be assisting. Nice to see someone knows what I am talking about.