Italian Baked Steak
May 16th, 2007
When I spot a good deal at the grocery store, I like to take advantage of it. Now, sometimes I’m not sure how I’m going to use everything I buy, but I always find a way. A couple of weeks ago, I bought chuck steak for under $2 per pound.
If you know much at all about beef, you understand that chuck steak is not exactly the cream of the crop. It’s a rather poor cut of meat that has plenty of chewy fat throughout it. Stick with me here, folks, because I’m going to tell you how to prepare it so that it’s very tasty AND tender.
Good cuts of beef are great served under-cooked. Rare, medium-rare, etc. They are tender at any stage. But the lower-quality cuts need to be cooked thoroughly at low heat and then cooked some more. When a gentle poke of a fork makes the meat fall apart, you’ve done it right.
Plan on doing all of the prep work around noon, so your steak has lots of time to cook. My mother always prepared baked steak in the oven with onion rings on top. It always came out delicious and tender and her method is the basis for the recipe I give you today:
Italian Baked Steak
2 lb. chuck steak or other marbled beef steak
flour
salt
pepper
cooking oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Basically, you want to coat the steak with the flour, salt, and pepper and fry it in some oil to brown both sides. Shake the salt and pepper all over it, then sprinkle flour on it. Heat the oil in a large skillet and place the steak in it. After 2-3 minutes, flip each piece and fry for another few minutes.
Remove the steak to either your crock pot or a baking dish that has a lid. Foil will do if you don’t have a good lid.
To the still-hot skillet, add the remaining ingredients - the mushroom soup, the tomatoes, the water and all of the herbs. Stir and let this bubble while the aroma fills your kitchen. Once it’s all combined, pour over the steak.
If using your crockpot, set it on low, put the lid on, and ignore it for several hours (5, 6, or more.) If using your oven, put a lid on the dish and place in a low oven (275 degrees) and ignore it for several hours.
I served this with mashed potatoes last night. Garlic bread, noodles, rice, almost any starch will go great with this steak. Add some salad or any green veggie.
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