Easy Swiss Steak Recipe: A Hearty Cube Steak

Despite the name, this Easy Swiss Steak tastes like All-American food to me. This hearty cube steak recipe is easy to make, low in fat, and just right to warm up with on a cool evening.

Easy Swiss Steak Vs. a Blue-Plate Special

I was all ready to talk about how this Easy Swiss Steak would be perfect for a blue-plate special. Then I started thinking about where the name “blue-plate special” came from, which took me to Wikipedia of course. As it turns out, originally diners served these daily specials on blue divided plates like this one:

Well, that kinda ruins my plan seeing as how this Swiss steak is a one-dish meal. Unless you wanted to be a weirdo and put rice in one compartment, carrots and onions in another, and put the meat in the big part, it’s really not meant for a divided plate.

Why I Love Divided Plates?

Instead of talking about how this meal is like a blue-plate special since it’s really not, let’s talk about how much I used to love divided plates. When I was a kid, if I could have had a divided plate at every meal (dinner at least), I would have been in heaven.

Besides obvious things like red beans on rice or gravy on mashed potatoes, I didn’t like my food to touch. Not only did I like everything on my plate to be separated, but I also liked to eat one thing completely before moving on to the next. I’m glad to tell you that I now let my food touch the plate. I even mix turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce all in one bite. This gives me hope that my picky kids will eat like normal people one day.

What is a Swiss Steak

Swiss steak is the term used to refer to a cut of steak taken from either the eye of round, top round or bottom round, that is then pounded, rolled or otherwise tenderized. This can be done at home with a meat mallet, tenderizer or rollingpin. You can also buy swiss steaks at your local grocery store or butcher shop. The steak is then slow cooked or braised until tender and typically served with a tomato based sauce or gravy.

The term “swiss steak” comes from the process of swissing a steak which means to cut and tenderize it and this was originally done using a swissing machine.

What is the differnece between a swiss steak and cube steak?

A swiss steak and cube steak are the same but just have slightly different background. Both cube and swiss steaks are made from tenderized and pounded eye of round, top round or bottom round steaks. Many swiss steak recipes will use cube steak in them as cube steak is a more common term at butcher shops and grocery stores. Cube steak is typically the term used for the raw cut of steak and refers to an ingredient in a recipe. Swiss steak is often used to refer to a dish that uses the cube steak.

Why I love this Recipe

I love this easy swiss steak recipe because it is easy to make, uses only a handful of ingredients, most of which I have on hand and is easy to modify based on what I have on hand and my flavoring preferences.

Swiss Steak Recipe Tips, Tricks, Substitutions and Modifications

Here are some suggestions and recommendations for making swiss steaks.

• You can change the base you serve your swiss steaks on top of. Some favorites are white rice, egg noodles, roasted potatoes, or mashed potatoes.
• If you want to make this recipe even easier you can substitute the carrots, onions, garlic, tomato paste and canned tomatoes with a jar of tomato or marinara sauce. You will still want to add a little more liquid and can use beef broth, chicken broth, red wine or white wine.
• Add a Cajun or Creole twist. Dice 1 green pepper and 1 rib of celery along with the onions and carrots, and then add 1 tablespoon of Cajun or Creole seasoning with the garlic.

How to Make this Easy Swiss Steak Recipe

This Swiss steak is easy, low in fat, and loaded with tomato flavor. It tastes a bit like a beef stew but with a different texture from the cube steaks instead of chunks of stew meat. It calls for a whole can of tomato paste, but it would also be great for using up the rest of a can after you’ve used a tablespoon for something else and don’t know what to do with the rest.

1. In a deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and carrots, and sauté until tender. Stir in minced garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
2. Season your cube steaks with salt and pepper or seasoned salt. Place meat on top of onions and carrots. Pour tomatoes over the meat.
3. Mix tomato paste, beef broth, and oregano in a small bowl, then pour over the meat. You want to make sure the cube steak is covered by the liquid so it braises nicely.
4. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cover skillet mostly with a lid, making it a little offset so steam can escape and the sauce can reduce but tomato sauce doesn’t splatter all over your stovetop.
5. Serve over rice, potatoes, or noodles.

Slow Cooker Swiss Steaks

Although this recipe prepares the swiss steaks on the stove top, you could use a slow cooker. This is exactly the type of recipe that would work great in a slow cooker. Simply add all the ingredients to a slow cooker turn on low and cook for 6-8 hours until the meat is nice and tender. If you don’t have all day you could cook it on high for 4 hours.

Easy Swiss Steak

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This cube steak recipe is a hearty dinner just right for a cool evening.

• Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 sweet onion cut in half and sliced
• 3 carrots peeled and cut into rings
• 2 cloves garlic crushed or minced
• 16 oz. cube steaks
• salt and pepper or seasoned salt
• 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 16 oz. can beef broth
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• cooked rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles

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Instructions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a deep 10″ or 12″ skillet. Add onions and carrots, and sauté until onions are tender. Stir in garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
2. Lightly sprinkle both sides of cube steaks with salt and pepper or seasoned salt. Place meat on top of onions and carrots. Pour tomatoes over the meat.
3. Stir tomato paste, beef broth, and oregano together in a small bowl with a fork. Pour over meat.
4. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cover skillet mostly with a lid, making it a little offset so steam can escape and the sauce can reduce but tomato sauce doesn’t splatter all over your stovetop.
5. Serve over rice, potatoes, or noodles.

• Author: Andi
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 120

• This 10″ iron skillet is my favorite pan for this recipe.

 You’ll also love these fork-tender skillet beef dishes:

Final Thoughts

Enjoy a lovely meal with your family and friends with a dish that will make your day. This recipe is something you could do at home. A delicious and healthy treat that you will enjoy. Try making this on special occasions, your visitors will enjoy it. It’s very easy to make. Try it out!

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Easy Swiss Steak – This cube steak recipe is a hearty dinner just right for a cool evening. – olive oil, sweet onion (cut in half and sliced), carrots (peeled and cut into rings), garlic (crushed or minced), cube steaks, salt and pepper or seasoned salt, can petite diced tomatoes, can tomato paste, can beef broth, dried oregano, cooked rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles, , Heat oil over medium-high heat in a deep 10″ or 12″ skillet. Add onions and carrots, and sauté until onions are tender. Stir in garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes longer.; Lightly sprinkle both sides of cube steaks with salt and pepper or seasoned salt. Place meat on top of onions and carrots. Pour tomatoes over the meat.; Stir tomato paste, beef broth, and oregano together in a small bowl with a fork. Pour over meat.; Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cover skillet mostly with a lid, making it a little offset so steam can escape and the sauce can reduce but tomato sauce doesn’t splatter all over your stovetop.; Serve over rice, potatoes, or noodles.; ; – – Dinner – Red Meat – Rice Bowls – beef – carrot – tomato – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]