Old-Fashioned Swiss Steak

Why you’ll love it

• Fork-tender beef from an affordable cut, thanks to slow braising.
• One pot for browning, the sauce and the braise.
• Even better the next day, so it is ideal for make-ahead dinners.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the steak

• 2 lb (900 g) beef top round or bottom round steak, about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick
• 1/2 cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

For the sauce

• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz / 411 g) diced tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 can (8 oz / 227 g) tomato sauce
• 1 cup (240 ml) beef broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf

To serve

• Mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles or white rice
• Chopped fresh parsley

Step-by-step method

1. Cut and season the beef. Pat the steak dry and cut it into 6 serving pieces. In a shallow dish, mix the flour, 1 tsp of the salt, the pepper and the paprika.

2. Flour and pound. Dredge each piece of steak in the flour mixture, then pound both sides with a meat mallet (or the edge of a heavy saucer) until about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) thick, pressing the flour into the meat. Dredge again and shake off the excess. Save 1 tablespoon of the leftover seasoned flour.

3. Brown the steak. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large Dutch oven or braiser over medium-high heat. Brown the steaks in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden. Transfer to a plate.

4. Cook the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, the onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook 5–6 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the reserved 1 tbsp seasoned flour and stir 1 minute.

5. Build the sauce. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, thyme, bay leaf and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot.

6. Braise. Nestle the steaks and any juices back into the sauce, spooning some over the top. Cover and either simmer on the stovetop over low heat or bake in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, turning the meat once halfway, until fork-tender.

7. Finish and serve. Remove the bay leaf. If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered 5–10 minutes to thicken. Taste for salt and pepper and serve the steaks over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice, with plenty of sauce and a sprinkle of parsley.

How to know it is done

Swiss steak is ready when a fork slides into the thickest piece with almost no resistance and the meat starts to pull apart. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If the beef still feels firm or springy, cover it and keep braising another 15–30 minutes; round steak gets tender with time, not heat.

Tips for the best result

• Do not skip pounding: it breaks down the tough fibers of round steak and helps the flour stick.
• Brown in batches so the meat sears instead of steaming.
• Keep the braise at a bare simmer; a hard boil makes lean beef tough and stringy.
• Cube steak works too and cuts the braising time to about 1 hour.

Variations and substitutions

• Slow cooker: brown the steak and vegetables as directed, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on LOW 7–8 hours or HIGH 4 hours.
• With mushrooms: add 8 oz (225 g) sliced mushrooms with the onion.
• Chuck steak: use boneless chuck steaks for even richer, more marbled meat; braise 2–2 1/2 hours.
• Gluten-free: dredge in a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour and use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
• Brown gravy style: replace the canned tomatoes and tomato sauce with 1 extra cup of beef broth and 1 tbsp tomato paste.

Make ahead

Swiss steak tastes even better the next day. Braise it completely, cool, and refrigerate in its sauce up to 2 days, then reheat gently, covered, on the stovetop or in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 25–30 minutes.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers with the sauce in an airtight container up to 4 days. To freeze, pack the steaks covered in sauce in freezer containers for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat covered over medium-low heat with a splash of broth until hot, about 10–15 minutes, or microwave individual portions 2–3 minutes, stirring the sauce halfway.