Swiss Steak
Swiss steak is meat, usually beef, prepared by means of rolling or pounding, and then braising in a cooking pot of stewed tomatoes, either on a stove or in an oven. Swiss steak has been a popular American dish for a century, with the first printed recipe for it being published in 1915.
Recipe from 1917, The Malone Cookbook
Swiss Steak. Take round steak about two inches thick. Pound in as much flour on both sides as it will take. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a spider, put in steak and brown on both sides. Then cover with hot water, teaspoon of salt and simmer covered about two hours. Remove meat and thicken gravy.
The name does not refer to Switzerland, but instead to the process of "swissing", which refers to fabric or other materials being pounded or run through rollers in order to soften it. Swiss steak is typically made from relatively tough cuts of meat, such as the round, which have been pounded with a tenderizing hammer, or run through a set of bladed rollers to produce so-called "cube steak" or "minute steaks". The meat is typically coated with flour and seasonings and cooked in a gravy made from tomato and sometimes onions and peppers.
The process of swissing meat is done to enable tougher and cheaper pieces of meat to be tenderized. Cube steak is the usual meat used in producing swiss steak by most home cooks. Cube steak has had the connective fibers that make the meat tough physically broken by the butcher and the braising process further breaks down the connective tissue in the meat. Swiss steak should be tender enough to be eaten without a knife. In Switzerland a steak prepared in this way is called "roast mincemeat".
Mom's Swiss Steak
Good recipe for less tender cuts of beef steak, such as bottom round or chuck. The term 'Swiss Steak' refers to a cut of beef that has been pounded thin to tenderize it and coated with floured before being cooked.
FMM: Alton Brown’s recipe, to the right, uses Worcestershire sauce and beef broth instead of water, both of which add a lot of flavor. A sprinkling of smoked paprika, which is a little hot, is also a good option. I might add some celery next time I make it, but it is good without it.
2 - 2 1/2 lb. steak, cut 1 - 2" thick
Few tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. shortening
2 cups sliced onion
1 glove garlic, minced
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup water
bay leaf
1/2 tsp. thyme
Pound flour into both sides of the steak.
Melt the shortening in a heavy skillet. When the skillet is hot, brown the meat. Then add the rest of the ingredients and heat.
Bake in a 350° oven for 1 hour or more until the meat is tender. [I made only 1 small steak and it took 1 1/2 hours.
Swiss Steak
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown
2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil or bacon drippings
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups beef broth
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices and season on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Dredge the pieces of meat on both sides in the flour mixture. Tenderize the meat using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Dredge the slices on both sides once more and set aside.
Add enough of the bacon drippings or vegetable oil to just cover the bottom of a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the steaks to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a plate and repeat until all of the steaks have been browned.
Remove the last steaks from the pot and add the onions, garlic, and celery. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Next add the tomatoes, paprika, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth and stir to combine. Return the meat to the pot, submerging it in the liquid. Cover the pot and place it in the oven on the middle rack. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart.
4 -6 servings
