Sunday Recipe: Slow Cooker Swiss Steaks

During the week when I’m trying to write while my neighbors practice their trombones or whatever, I often turn on the Food Network Channel on low volume to drown out the noise. This week, I was working with Paula Deen on in the background when I saw her slow cook something delicious-looking called Swiss steaks. I’d never really heard of the dish, but my copy of Joy of Cooking also had their own version. I looked up a few more recipes online and came up with my own version.

It’s great to throw together Sunday afternoon and then eat Sunday night - and it’s tender enough to eat without a knife. Ready?

• 1 to 2 pounds of beef round, cut into portion sizes (some people like to use tenderized meat, but you don’t have to, especially since it’s going in the slow cooker, which makes everything tender)
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of celery, chopped into tiny pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced or shredded
• 1 bell pepper, cut into strips
• garlic, to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of beer
• whichever spices you have on hand of the following: thyme, oregano, basil, parsley

1. sprinkle the beef with flour, salt, and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the meat, a few minutes on each side. You don’t want to cook the meat all the way through, just to cook the flour on the outside, which will keep the meat moist (and thicken the sauce later). Place in the slow cooker.

2. on top of the meat, put in all of the chopped veggies and spices. Pour the beer over the top and drink the rest of the can. Cover it and get on with your day, turning it off in 4-6 hours or so.

3. Serve with mashed potatoes or turnips,  green beans, and the rest of the six pack.