Here is a recipe for Swiss steak as made by Elizabeth (McDonald) Smock, and written down by her daughter Marji Stewart. That’s Elizabeth’s grandson who is cooking the Swiss steak in these pictures. The notes in brackets in the recipe are Marji’s.
Elizabeth’s Swiss Steak
I large round steak, bone removed
flour, salt, pepper, spices as desired
chopped onion
potatoes, carrots
Place steak on floured breadboard (I take it outside with newspapers under board to catch flying flour.)
Beat steak with mallet or edge of small saucer until very tender.
Work in salt and pepper.
(When your wrist is about to fall off it probably is tender!)
Cut meat in 4-6 pieces
Brown in hot oil on both sides, then remove, but leave oil in pan. (I use an electric frying pan.)
Have on hand:
1 can beef broth
1 cup water
steak sauce
1/4 – 1/2 cup cooked tomatoes
hot sauce
1/2 cup red wine
Add steak back to pan with about 1/4 cup or less of the hot oil.
Cover with chopped onion.
Add liquids a small amount at a time.
Simmer about 3 hours.
About 45 minutes prior to serving, add 3-4 potatoes and 4 peeled carrots.
You don’t want soup but a tasty gravy to develop. Keep temperature low enough to simmer, not boil. Add more liquid ingredients to taste.
At Finding the Rivers you can see more about Elizabeth and her family.
