Swiss Steak ( slightly adapted from Alton Brown)

I used to make Swiss Steak quite often in my early married years, but after we had kids, they didn't like the tomato type sauce that makes this dish. My kids never did like anything with chunks of tomatoes in it, or chunks of anything, for that matter. So, I gradually quit making it. Not long ago, my husband remarked that it had been along time since I'd made this recipe. He has always loved Swiss Steak, so I thought I remembered seeing a recipe on Food Network that I wanted to try. This dish, by Alton Brown, is delicious and easy to make, but you need to plan for 1 1/2-2 hours of baking time in the oven. This recipe uses round steak. If you buy it not tenderized, then you will need to tenderize it with a meat mallet to break down the muscle fibers of the steak a little.

Brown the steak in hot oil in a dutch oven; just a couple of minutes per side. Remove meat and add the onions and celery to the pan to soften for a minute or two. This smells so good!

Add tomato paste, spices, broth and other seasonings to pot. Place browned meat in the pot, submerging in the savory liquid. Cover pot and place in oven. Bake until meat is fork tender.

Oh, this dish is delicious! I baked it for 2 hours and the meat easily fell apart when cut with a fork. The addition of beef broth and garlic in this recipe gave this Swiss Steak great flavor, not too overpowered with tomatoes. I'll be making this often as my husband loved it. Even my daughter thought it was really good. Here's my slightly adapted version of this delicious recipe.

SWISS STEAK (slightly adapted from Alton Brown)

2 pounds round steak, tenderized ( Alton used bottom round that he sliced into steaks)

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup oil or bacon drippings ( I used a combination of both)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)

1 tsp. paprika (Alton used smoked paprika)

2 tsp. fresh Thyme (Alton used 1 tsp. dried oregano)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups beef broth (I used low sodium, low fat)

Cut the steaks into serving size pieces, season both sides with salt and pepper and pound with a meat mallet. Dredge meat in the flour and set aside. Dice up the onion and celery. Mince the garlic.

Add enough oil to just cover the bottom of a dutch oven set over medium high heat. Brown the steaks in hot oil about 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove steaks to a plate and repeat with the remaining steaks. Don't crowd the meat in the pan while browning.

After removing the last of the steak to the plate, add the onion, celery and garlic to the pot and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Add the tomatoes, paprika, thyme, Worcestershire and beef broth and stir. Return the steak to pot and submerge into the sauce. Cover pot and place in a 325 degree preheated oven. Cook for 1 1/2 -2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart.

Enjoy! I served this delicious Swiss Steak with mashed potatoes smothered with the pan veggies and sauce. Delicious! In fact, after I took picture, I ladled on more yummy sauce until you really couldn't distinguish what I was eating! It was a flavorful and comforting meal, perfect on the cold rainy day that we had. I'll be making this often. Have a great day!