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.

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Baked Swiss Steak

Heat oven to 350°

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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

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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.

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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.

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