Pioneer Woman's Swiss steak recipe includes steaks that are simmered in a delicious, tomatoey sauce until they are melt-in-your-mouth tender. They are particularly wonderful with mashed potatoes or noodles, which can soak up the sauce.
What is Swiss Steak?
Traditionally, Swiss steaks are slow-cooked, which is ideal for tougher cuts of meat such as round steak. Then, the steaks are browned, before being braised in a tomato sauce or a sauce with garlic and onion.
Recipes for Swiss steak first appeared in The American Century Cookbook in the 1930s. In the late 1940s, Reynolds Wrap Aluminum popularized the recipe by promoting it as a dish that people could use its foil with. Basically, you line a roasting pan with foil and cook the steaks in the oven.
Swiss steak refers to a tougher cut of beef, such as round steak, that has be tenderized, and in fact, has nothing to do with Switzerland.
What is the Best Cut of Meat for Swiss Steak?
Swiss steak is best made with thick slices of top-round steak. There is some confusion over what is the best cut of beef to use for Swiss steak, and every person has a different opinion.
According to Simply Recipes, Swiss steaks are round steaks pounded to tenderness, then braised in a sauce until ultra-moist and tender. For tougher cuts such as bottom round, long braising times aid in achieving tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat.
The Gourmet Sleuth states that Swiss steak is an "economy" meal. Cooking round steaks involves browning it in a hot skillet, followed by slowly braising it in the oven with various seasonings, onions, bell peppers, and, sometimes, canned tomatoes.
There is a clear distinction between Swiss steak and Salisbury steak. Salisbury steak is basically ground beef shaped into patties and served with gravy made from the beef broth. Meanwhile, Swiss steak is in fact steak with a tomato-based gravy.
Pioneer Woman's Swiss Steak Recipe Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or bacon drippings
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
How to Cook Pioneer Woman's Swiss Steak
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Slice the meat ½-inch thick with the grain and season with salt and ground black pepper on both sides.
3. Fill a pie pan with the flour.
4. Dredge both sides of the slices of meat in the flour until coated.
5. Use a needle meat tenderizer to tenderize the meat until each slice is ¼-inch thick.
6. Put the slices aside and dredge them with the flour again until coated on both sides.
7. Set a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil or bacon drippings.
8. Add the steaks to the Dutch oven once the oil begins to shimmer, being careful not to crowd the Dutch oven.
9. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.
10 Once all the steaks have been browned, remove them to a plate.
11. After removing the last steaks from the pot, add the onions, garlic, and celery, and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes.
12. Stir the tomato paste into the mixture. Then, add the tomatoes, paprika, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth, and stir well.
13. Add the meat back to the pot, submerging it in the liquid.
14. Place the pot on the middle rack of the oven and cover it.
15. Bake until the meat is tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
16. Serve and enjoy with your favorite sides.
How Long Does Cooked Steak Swiss Last in the Fridge?
Cooked Swiss steaks last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. In order to store Swiss steaks correctly, allow them to cool until they reach room temperature. Then, place them in airtight containers and store them in the fridge.
Can You Freeze Swiss Steaks?
Yes, you can freeze Swiss steaks, cooked or uncooked, and they can last for up to 3 months in the freezer. Cooked Swiss steaks should be cooled to room temperature before storing them in freezer bags. You should also label the freezer bags with the freezing date so you will know when to use them by.
To thaw the Swiss steaks, you can put the frozen Swiss steaks in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating and serving them. However, you can also accelerate the thawing process by placing the steaks in a warm water bath until defrosted, which would take about 2 hours.
How to Reheat Pioneer Woman's Swiss Steak
How to Reheat Swiss Steaks in the Oven
Allow the leftover Swiss steaks to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Apply a thin layer of oil to both sides of the Swiss steak (you can bypass this if the steaks are in sauce). Then, place the steaks on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan and place them in the oven. The Swiss steaks should be reheated in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they reach 165 F.
I recommend that you reheat the leftover Swiss steaks without any sauces.
How to Reheat Swiss Steak in the Microwave
To heat Swiss steaks in the microwave, place them on a microwave-safe plate and heat them at 30 second intervals at medium power, turning the steaks between microwave cycles.
What is a Good Side Dish for Swiss Steak?
Swiss steaks are wonderful with tomato sauces which are made up of garlic, tomato, onion, and some seasonings, such as dried herbs, oregano, and rosemary. Meanwhile, as far as side dishes go, you can serve Swiss steak with mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and gravy. Salads like cucumber salads, fresh greek salad are great side dishes to serve with Swiss steaks as well.
Here is a list of the best sides to serve with Swiss steaks:
- Julienne Salad
- Corn Salad
- Butternut Squash Salad
- Quinoa Salad
- Greek Salad
- Cucumber and Carrot Salad with Mayonnaise
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Asparagus and Carrots
Pioneer Woman’s Swiss Steak Recipe
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Pioneer Woman’s Swiss steak recipe includes steaks that are simmered in a delicious, tomatoey sauce until they are melt-in-your-mouth tender. They are particularly wonderful with mashed potatoes or noodles, which can soak up the sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or bacon drippings
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F.
- Slice the meat ½-inch thick with the grain and season with salt and ground black pepper on both sides.
- Fill a pie pan with the flour.
- Dredge both sides of the slices of meat in the flour until coated.
- Use a needle meat tenderizer to tenderize the meat until each slice is ¼-inch thick.
- Put the slices aside and dredge them with the flour again until coated on both sides.
- Set a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil or bacon drippings.
- Add the steaks to the Dutch oven once the oil begins to shimmer, being careful not to crowd the Dutch oven.
- Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.
- Once all the steaks have been browned, remove them to a plate.
- After removing the last steaks from the pot, add the onions, garlic, and celery, and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir the tomato paste into the mixture. Then, add the tomatoes, paprika, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth, and stir well.
- Add the meat back to the pot, submerging it in the liquid.
- Place the pot on the middle rack of the oven and cover it.
- Bake until the meat is tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Serve and enjoy with your favorite sides.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 878Total Fat: 55gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 206mgSodium: 1341mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 67g
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