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.

• 1 boneless top blade roast, (3 1/2 to 4-lb) (see note)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, halved and sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, rinsed, patted dry and minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1. BUTCHER ROAST Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300°F. Following photos at left, cut roast crosswise into quarters and remove line of gristle to yield 8 steaks.
2. BROWN STEAKS Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat just until smoking. Brown 4 steaks, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining oil and steaks.
3. ADD AROMATICS Add onion to empty pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, tomato paste, and flour and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes and broth and bring to boil.
4. BRAISE STEAKS Return steaks and any accumulated juices to pan. Transfer to oven and braise, covered, until steaks are fork-tender, about 2 hours. Transfer steaks to platter, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Skim fat from sauce. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over steaks. Serve.

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.