Swiss Steak

I have found many recipes for Swiss Steak over the years, but they have all been made from a tomato baste and the sauce has been very thin. My mother always said they were really making Salisbury Steak and not Swiss Steak. At one time I looked up both recipes on several internet sites and found my mother was probably right as there was very little difference between the two. The primary difference semed to be whether chuck steak was used or ground beef formed into patties.

• flour
• salt, pepper, paprika -- or any other seasoning which appeals to you
• 2 pounds top round or boneless chuck steak, trimmed, cut into serving sizes (tip: ask your butcher to tenderize the meat)
• vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, sweet, chopped (I tend to use more onions, but use the amount which appeals to you)
• 2 10 oz cans condensed mushroom soup

Directions:

• add seasoning to flour
• dredge meat in flour, shake off excess
• heat oil in deep skillet amd brown dredged meat until meat is lightly browned on all sides
• set browned meat aside
• keep browned oil/flour in skillet, add more oil if necessary, and lightly sautee onions scraping the sides of the pan for the browned flour (great flavoring)
• mix mushroom soup with 1 can of water (add water slowly and if you have, use a whisk to blend throroughly); add onions to soup
• in baking pan, put a very thin layer of the soup onion mix (I like to use my glass baking dish. It's about 2-1/2" deep x 10" long x 9" wide.)
• lay the meat in the pan, 1 layer thick (do not layer your meat). It's ok if the meat is touching on the sides.
• pour remaining soup/onion mixture over meat
• cover with aluminum foil and cook at 350° F for 1/2 hour
• remove foil and continue cooking until meat is tender and liquid is absorbed (it will be like an aspic) -- approximately 3-4 hours. (Note: since I check the meat once/hour, I turn the meat over each time as well to make sure it's evenly coated with the sauce.)
• remove from oven and let sit 10-15 minutes.

Page Last Modified: 01/26/2011