Swiss Steak is the ultimate comfort food—tender, slow-cooked beef smothered in a rich tomato gravy. This old-fashioned dish transforms an affordable cut of beef into a melt-in-your-mouth meal. Whether served over rice, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles, it’s a guaranteed family favorite.
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About Swiss Steak
Swiss Steak was something that my mother often made when I was growing up. It was a way of taking a tough cut of beef and simmering it in a rich tomato gravy to create a scrumptious meal.
You may think that Swiss Steak originated in Switzerland because of its name. However, Switzerland had nothing to do with it. Rather, the name originates from a technique called swissing which is a tenderizing technique. With swissing, the meat is rolled or pounded before it's cooked to help tenderize it.
Swiss steak is often confused with Salisbury steak. While both are cooked in a rich gravy, Salisbury steak is made with ground beef that has been shaped into a patty whereas Swiss steak is made with unground steak. Also, the gravy is different. Salisbury steak gravy is a brown gravy that often includes mushrooms. The Swiss steak gravy is tomato based.
In the South and in England, Swiss steak is sometimes referred to as smothered steak.
Ingredients:
The ingredients for this amazing dish fall into four categories:
- The Beef: Historically, I've used round steak in this dish. However, I couldn't find any at the grocery store, so I opted for top sirloin steak. It worked amazingly well! The top sirloin steak had minimal fat, was full of flavor and fork tender after the slow cook.
- The Vegetables: The vegetables consisted of sliced onions, chopped celery, and minced garlic.
- The Liquids: The flavorful gravy in which the steak is cooked consists of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
- Everything Else: I coated the steak in all-purpose flour seasoned with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and quick-fried it in vegetable oil. For the seasonings, I used dried oregano and paprika.
Making the Swiss Steak - Step-by-Step
- I started by whisking together beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste in a measuring cup. I set this aside until I was ready to add it to the Swiss steak.
- For the beef, I started by combining the flour, salt, and pepper in a Ziploc bag. Then, I added the beef, which I had cut into serving-size pieces, and gave the bag a shake to coat.
- Next, I tenderized the beef using a needling device. A needling device consists of many sharp stainless steel blades that penetrate the connective tissue and help flatten the beef. If you don't have a needling device, you could use whatever tool you normally use for flattening meat.
- After tenderizing the beef, I returned it to the Ziploc bag with seasoned flour and gave it another coat. Then, I heated some vegetable oil in a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once the oil was hot, I added the steaks to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. I cooked the steaks until they were nicely browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
- After the meat had been browned, I sautéed the onions and celery in the Dutch oven for several minutes.
- Next, I added the garlic and cooked the mixture for about 30 seconds until the garlic was fragrant. Then, I added the paprika and oregano and stirred the mixture to combine everything.
- I added the beef broth mixture and stirred to combine everything, being careful to scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan.
- After everything was well combined, I added the diced tomatoes. I stirred everything together.
- Finally, I returned the meat to the Dutch oven. After the liquid started to boil, I covered the Dutch oven and reduced the heat to medium-low. I placed the Dutch oven in a preheated 325°F oven for about an hour and 45 minutes.
The beef was fork tender and falling apart and the gravy had thickened to a perfect consistency. I spooned the Swiss steak over some rice and served it with a side salad and crusty French Bread. This was comfort food at its best. Yum!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Choose meat that has minimal internal fat. Both round steak and top sirloin work well with this recipe.
- I like to use low-sodium beef broth, but you could use regular beef broth and adjust the added salt to taste.
- If you don't have a needling device, you can use whatever device you normally use to pound meat.
- I like to serve Swiss steak over rice, but you could also serve it over mashed potatoes or with a baked potato. Swiss steak goes well with many different sides, such as green beans, steamed spinach, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, or a simple side salad.
- Leftovers reheat well. Place them in a pan over medium-low heat and cook until bubbly and the meat is fully heated, about 15 minutes.
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Swiss Steak
Equipment
- Needling device
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef bottom round or top sirloin, trimmed of excess fat (See Tip 1)
- 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 to 3 stalks celery, chopped (about ¾ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) beef broth (See Tip 2)
- 1 Tablespoon (0.6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon (0.5 ounces) Worcestershire sauce
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (See Tip 3
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F.
- Cut the meat with the grain into serving-size pieces. Place the flour, salt, and pepper into a Ziploc bag or other type of plastic bag. Add the meat and toss to coat on both sides. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is about ½-inch thick. Dredge in the flour again and set aside. (See Tip 4)
- Add the vegetable oil to just cover the bottom of a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the steaks to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a plate and repeat until all of the steaks have been browned.
- Remove the last steaks from the pot and add the onions and celery. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the paprika and oregano; stir well to combine.
- Whisk together the beef broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire Sauce in a measuring cup. Add to the vegetable mixture; mix well. Add the diced tomatoes; mix well. Correct the seasonings. Return the meat to the pot, submerging it in the liquid. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and place it in the preheated 325°F oven. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart.
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings. (See Tips 5 and 6)
Video
Tips/Notes
- Choose meat that has minimal internal fat. Both round steak and top sirloin work well with this recipe.
- I like to use low-sodium beef broth. However, you could use regular beef broth and adjust the added salt to taste.
- I generally add about ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
- If you don't have a needling device, you can use whatever device you normally use to pound meat.
- I like to serve Swiss steak over rice. However, you could also serve it with mashed potatoes or a baked potato. Swiss steak pairs well with a variety of side dishes such as green beans, steamed spinach, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, or a simple side salad.
- Leftovers reheat well. Place them in a pan over medium-low heat and cook until bubbly and the meat is fully heated, about 15 minutes.
Cindy Dennis says
This is the best Swiss Steak recipe I’ve had My Mom use to make the best Swiss Steak and I didn’t learn how she made it but this is really close and I want to say THANK YOU I did double my sauce as I had almost 3 pounds of steak and I added sliced carrots. I cooked it in the crockpot for for about 41/2 hours on high and it was tenderized at the meat counter So yummy
Chula King says
I'm so pleased that you liked the Swiss Steak! Adding sliced carrots sounds yummy. I'll have to try that!
Chula