This is my version of my Mom's Swiss steak recipe. I chose top-round steak because it's cheaper than other cuts. You'll find it in most grocery stores, packaged in a tube-like shape but when you get it home and open it up you have a flat steak with plenty of marbled fat and oftentimes some silver skin on it, so you need to trim all that off (see the video at the bottom of the page) and cut them down into steak-sized portions of around 4-6 oz each. You will also want to use a metal Dutch oven or deep pan to make this that is oven and stovetop safe.
- 2 lbs top round steak (trimmed and cut into 4-6 oz portions)
- 1/4 cup flour
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 small cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1 14oz can of stewed tomatoes, undrained
- 3/4 cup red marsala wine (if you don't have wine, you can use beef broth or water but it won't taste the same)
- 1 package of instant beef gravy mix [go lower sodium]
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- In a Dutch oven or heavy, deep metal pot, pour the oil and heat at medium-high until very hot (not to smoke point, if it smokes, let it cool down some by removing it from the heat).
- While the oil heats, dry and trim down your meat and place in a heavy plastic zip bag and pound down with a mallet until tenderized on both sides.
- Lightly dust each piece with flour
- Place each piece in the hot oil and fry on each side until crusted and dark golden in color.
- Remove each and drain on a paper towel.
- Cool and then empty out the oil and return to the burner on medium heat.
- Sautee the onions in any of the residual oil until very soft (add a little bit more if there is none).
- Add garlic and saute for one minute.
- Pour the wine in and scrape the fond (tiny bits, called deglazing) from the bottom of the pot.
- Bring the wine to a boil and allow it to reduce by 1/3.
- Pour in the stewed tomatoes (chop them down if you have to) and stir them in.
- Add the meat back in and snuggle it down until smothered.
- Lid your pot and turn down the oven heat to 300 degrees.
- Cook in the oven, undisturbed for 1 hour.
- Remove, check for doneness (fork tender) or return for another half hour if not.
- Remove, recheck and if all is well, remove to a plate.
- Stir the gravy into the pot contents and serve over the meat.
