Mom's Swiss Steak

               When I was first married, I knew how to cook, but my skills were pretty much limited to half-a-dozen recipes. Fortunately, the women in my new family were great cooks, so I had plenty of mentors. My mom-in-law from the mid-west taught me things like how to make gravy. She also taught me how to make good coffee, tailor a blazer, and do bookkeeping the old-fashioned way, with a ledger.

            And Grandma taught me about pies and cobblers. She never took the bounty of the Pacific Northwest for granted. She marveled at the fact that something as wonderful as a blackberry was free for the picking. Most importantly, they both taught me not to be afraid of a recipe. To adapt, create, and alter. "They're just guidelines," Mom used to say.

            It's true, I've learned. Today I can say, without too much exaggeration, that "I've never met a recipe I didn't change."

            So, in honor of her birthday, here's my version of Mom's Swiss Steak.

. 

Baked Swiss Steak

Heat oven to 350°

 .

1 lb. top round or other thin steak

¼ cup flour

¼ tsp. each, salt and pepper

½ cup diced onion

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 - 8oz can tomato sauce

1 cup brown gravy (from a mix or leftover homemade)

1 bay leaf

 .

Cut the steak into four equal pieces. Using a meat tenderizer, flatten the steaks to about ¼ inch, turning frequently. Mix flour with salt and pepper. Dredge steak pieces in seasoned flour, pressing it into the meat.

. 

Heat the oil to medium-high in a Dutch oven. Brown the meat on both sides. Add onions and remove from heat.  Mix tomato sauce and gravy. Pour over meat and onions. Stir to combine, turning steaks over to coat. Drop bay leaf into sauce.

 .

Cover and bake at 350° for 60 minutes, or until meat is very tender.

My Mother's Best Recipe

            When I was growing up, my parents and I lived on a small farm. It was just over five acres, but could produce enough to help sustain our family. Dad had a real job as a machinist down on the river, but the farm was his passion. He raised sheep, rabbits, ducks and chickens. The organic-before-it-was-popular vegetable garden was the size of a football field. There were apple, pear, cherry and walnut trees. The possibilities for gourmet cooking were vast.

            Sadly, neither of my parents was interested. Dad loved the art of producing the food, not preparing it. Fortunately, he wasn’t fussy, because my mother was not a very good cook. It’s not that she couldn’t cook, she just didn’t really care for it. Cooking was just a routine, like doing laundry. Far happier in her rose garden than in the kitchen, her creativity stayed out there. Meals were simple, and largely determined by what was in the pantry, garden or freezer.

            Even so, there were several recipes that mother mastered. An awesome lentil soup, a particularly tangy lemon tart, and a paprikash that worked equally well with chicken or rabbit. All three were from the “old country”. Just like grandma used to make, to quote my father. He was happy as long as there was meat involved.

            When my husband and I were first married, the meat on our menu consisted mainly of whatever fish or game was in season. I was familiar with duck, and quail was enough like chicken, but I wasn’t sure about venison. Trying what I knew, I learned that the lovely steaks couldn’t be treated like lamb, or even beef. They were just too lean. Unless braised or stewed, the venison tended to the chewy side. Remembering my mother’s paprikash, I reasoned that if it turned an equally lean rabbit succulent, it should work magic on the deer meat. It did, and Mushroom Steak became one of my husband’s favorites.

            When we relocated to the suburbs, I used whatever cut of beef was cheap. A big top-round, well tenderized, would feed the whole family, with leftovers. Since then, the recipe has evolved. The steak has up-scaled as budget has allowed. The canned mushrooms have been replaced with fresh, and I couldn’t resist the addition of wine. So, here is Mother’s best recipe, slightly updated.

Golden Mushroom Steak
Heat oven to 350°

4 serving size sirloin or top round steaks  
1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms 
½ cup diced onion
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp. 
salt
¼ tsp. pepper 
½ tsp. paprika 
2 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup dry red wine 
2 cups beef broth
2 tbsp. sour cream
 
Mix flour, salt, pepper, and paprika together. Dredge the steaks in seasoned flour. Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and flatten with the smooth side of a tenderizer. Turn over and repeat. The flour should be absorbed a bit. 
 
Heat the oil to medium-high in a deep skillet. Cook the meat until well browned on both sides. Remove to an oven-safe pan.
 
Toss the onions into the skillet and sauté until golden brown. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom to loosen bits. Stir in the broth. Pour over the steaks. Cover and move to pre-heated oven. 
 
Bake at 350° for 1 to 1 1/2 hour, or until the steaks are fork tender. Remove the steaks to a serving platter. Mix the sour cream into the sauce, stirring over a low heat until well blended. Pour over the meat and serve.