Wow, to pin this on the Swiss seems unfair. Braising barely-seasoned meat in a slow-cooker doesn’t sound like swiss steak to me. Fret not, I’ve made a much better recipe to try instead.
From a box sold in Columbiaville, Michigan.
Swiss Steak
2 lbs. round steak
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. water
Cut meat into serving pieces. Season. Add water. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on low, 4 to 6 on high.
Swiss Steak (Yesterdish suggestion for what to do instead of slowly boiling beef in water, because… come on, be serious now.)
Let’s do a proper braise.
2 lbs. round steak
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 c. beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano
1 spring rosemary
Preheat the oven to 325. Put an oven-safe pot on medium-high heat. (If you don’t have an oven-safe pot, get a casserole ready so you can transfer the contents of your skillet into the cassrole.)
Mix cornstarch, flour, thyme, salt and pepper to make a dredge.
Cut the meat into slices (ideally with the grain–I know, it’s counterintuitive, force yourself). Dredge the slices in flour.
Pound the sices until they’re about a quarter of an inch thick, or use one of those spring-loaded blade tenderizers they use to make cube steak until it’s a quarter of an inch thick. Dredge the meat a second time in flour.
Melt the butter and olive oil together in the pot. Fry the meat on both sides till a crust develops, then set aside. (You won’t fit them all in the pan at once; add a little more olive oil if you feel you must.)
Add the onion, celery, garlic, oregano, and rosemary to the pot and stir till the onions are translucent. Then add the beef stock and tomato paste. Heat till just under a boil.
Add the slices of meat back into the broth and cover. Put the pot in the oven for about two hours, until the meat is tender.