The original Swiss steak recipe is said to transform a tough, inexpensive cut of meat into a delicate meal so tender you can almost eat it with a spoon. We wanted to revive this forgotten favorite and maybe even improve on it.
In search of the perfect cut of meat, we tried every inexpensive steak we could think of, but they were either too lean or fell apart when sliced into neat, even steaks. But when we got a little creative with a blade roast and a butcher’s knife, we created the perfect meat for our Swiss steak recipe. Now we just needed to make it super tender and full of flavor.
Many recipes called for tenderizing the meat by pounding it before cooking, but we know from experience that pounding meat does nothing to tenderize it. Instead we relied on a slow braise to create the ideal texture. To flavor the gravy, we found a combination of sautéed onions, diced tomatoes, and sundried tomatoes was ideal.
{(rater>id=100|name=Swiss Steak w/Tomato Gravy|type=rate|headline=off)}
Preheat: 300° | Yield: 6-8 servings | |
Prep: 0:15 | Wait: 0:00 | Cook: 2:00 |
Top blade-roast may also be labeled chuck roast first cut, top chuck roast, flat iron roast, or simply blade roast. Use low-sodium chicken broth or the gravy will be too salty.