Since the first printed recipe for Swiss steak appeared in 1915, the dish has gained popularity among Americans. The term “Swiss Steak” refers to the process of tenderizing a tough cut of meat and has nothing to do with Switzerland.

This method passes steak through a bladed machine that makes hundreds of small cuts to break down the connective tissues and tenderize the steak. The steak is typically referred to as cube steak or minute steak when purchased at a retail grocery shop and is often used to make chicken fried steak and swiss steak.

Best sides to serve with swiss steak.

It is advised to par-cook the veggies by steaming or boiling them until they are no longer raw but still crisp if you want to braise your side vegetables with the steak. Then, add the vegetables to the pan with the steak at the finish of cooking. Par-cooking ensures that they are thoroughly cooked at the oven’s low heat.

You can serve swiss steak with roasted veggies. If you want to go all out, roast some Brussels sprouts and Hasselback potatoes in the oven while the steak cooks on the stove.

Swiss steak recipe

steak with tomato and pepper with wine in background. On a white plate.

If you’d rather cook the steak in the oven, make sure it’s an oven-safe pot, boil the tomato purée before adding the steak to the oven, covering it, and cooking it at 300°F while it’s cooked.

Ingredients

  • A couple of tablespoons of flour
  • One 2 to 2 1/2 pound round or top round steak, about an inch thick
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 teaspoons each of fresh thyme, marjoram, sage, or 1/2 teaspoon each of dried
  • 2 cups puréed tomatoes (canned or fresh)

Method

1. Sear the steak on both sides:

Rub flour into both sides of the steak. Add salt and pepper to a wide, shallow pan (with a lid), and heat 2 tablespoons of oil to medium-high heat. To sufficiently brown the steak, place it in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes on each side.

2. Sauté onions and garlic:

Take the steak out of the pan and place it aside. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and the onions and garlic.

Using a metal spatula to scrape up any steak drippings and combine them with the onions, cook the onions and garlic for 3 to 5 minutes. To the onions, add half of the herbs.

3. Add herbs, steak, and tomato purée:

Place the steak back in the pan on top of the onions. Place the onions closely together and on the meat. Over the steak, scatter the remaining herbs. Add 2 cups of puréed tomatoes to the pan.

4. Cover and simmer:

Put a tight-fitting cover on the pan. The moisture and steam from the cooking juices will better circulate, and the steak will stay moist with a domed lid.

To maintain a low simmer, bring the steak and tomato purée to a simmer and then turn the heat down as far as it will go. Cook for 1 1/2 hours.

5. Pre-cook vegetables:

You might want to cook the veggies you plan to serve with the steak lightly while the meat is cooking. For this recipe, we cooked 2 carrots, quartered lengthwise and chopped into 2-inch pieces, along with 4 small, peeled, quartered russet potatoes, for 5 to 10 minutes. (You may omit the veggies altogether or substitute others, such as green beans.)

After cooking the steak for 1 1/2 hours, we flipped it over, added the potatoes and carrots, covered the pan, and continued cooking the steak and veggies for 30 minutes.

Given that the steak is cooking at relatively low heat, you might want to slightly pre-cook the veggies beforehand. If you slightly pre-cook the veggies beforehand, you’ll have more control over how they turn out.

6. Slice and serve:

The steak should be done after two hours of cooking. You can poke it with a fork to check. The meat should be very tender.

Remove the steak from the package, then slice it on a carving board. As an alternative, you may have begun with smaller, individual steaks. Overtop the meat with the sauce.

Frequently asked questions

What is swiss steak?

How the meat is handled before being braised is how this recipe gets its name. Swissed is a term that describes rolling or pounding meat out. This will produce a result that is extraordinarily soft and flavorful in every mouthful.

Which meat cuts are suitable for swiss steak?

Swiss steak is ideal for those tougher cuts of meat! You can use sirloin, top round, chuck, or bottom round.

Can I use my instant pot or slow cooker?

Although I used the stove-top method, you can use your preferred kitchen appliances to achieve the same deliciously saucy and tender results!