Swiss Steak

For a good portion of my marriage up to this point I have only ever purchased two kinds of meat: chicken and ground beef. (And occasionally ham) Both are easy to come by and very inexpensive. Well you may not have noticed like I have, but ground beef hasn't gone on sale in a really long time. And if it isn't on sale then it is just as expensive (or more) than some more tasty cuts of meat: i.e. steak, pork, roast, etc. Because of this dilemma I have really branched out and explored a lot of different meats lately.

Am I the only one that gets really nervous when cooking a roast? It is so easy to dry them out and then they get to be unpleasant to eat. But only practice makes perfect and I am getting better about judging the best cooking time. I cooked my roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes on high and 3 hours and 30 minutes on low. I also cooked this meal in my big slow cooker (6.5 quart) and it filled it COMPLETELY. This is another one of those meals that would be great to share with some friends.

A good tip to remember when using a slow cooker is that it should be at least 1/2 to 3/4 full. If the recipe you are using does not fill your slow cooker this much you should use a smaller slow cooker. This will help to avoid burning and uneven cooking.

This is a great and traditional American meal. Meat, potatoes, carrots.... serve it up with some barbecue sauce and it is delicious and comforting. The tomatoes, garlic and Worcestershire sauce give it just enough of a flavor without being too overwhelming and it is a nice change from the normal onion flavored roasts. The only thing that I would change when making this recipe again is that I will remove the fat and sear my roast before putting it in the slow cooker. We used this method when we made the Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches and I think it made the roast 10 times better. It helps seal in all of the wonderful juices and promotes a tender finished product.

This recipe is courtesy of my good friend Merideth at Mer's Kitchen Creations and can be found at this site here: http://merskitchencreations.blogspot.com/2010/12/swiss-steak.html

The picture is courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens and can be found at this site here: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/beef/swiss-steak/

*NOTE! The Better Homes and Gardens version of this recipe has methods for cooking this dish on the stove or the oven instead of in a slow cooker. If that is something you are interested in you may want to check out the site I listed above for the location of the picture!

SWISS STEAK

From Mer’s Kitchen Creations (Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

• 1 medium-size pot-roast, OR 1 lb. boneless beef round steak
• 3-4 large carrots, cut into small 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 small potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 14.5 ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lay meat on bottom of the crock pot and sprinkle with carrots, onions, and potatoes. Pour tomatoes, worcestershire sauce and garlic over everything. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until meat is tender and cooked through. Serve and add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional: Omit the potatoes and serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or cooked pasta noodles.