I like dinners that I can prep ahead and require my oven to do the lions’ share of the work. And this is one of those delightful dishes that also happens to be delicious. And oh so reminiscent of my childhood. OK, maybe not the overall flavor of the dish. (My mom was not known for her culinary prowess.) But an inexpensive cut of beef braising in the oven for a couple of hours sure takes me back to the 50s.

Even though we often raised our own beef, there were no fancy steaks prepared in my mother’s kitchen. The entire butchered critter was either cut into roasts, stew meat, or ground into hamburger. And when I think back at what we could have been dining on, I just shake my head. After all, this was grass fed beef, with various grains and hay thrown in for good measure. And of course no growth hormones or anything like that. Just plain old well fed cows giving up their lives for our dining pleasure. (And yes I would be a vegetarian if I really stopped to think about it. But I’m too much of a carnivore to allow my conscience a say in the matter. Plus we still have organic beef in our freezer.) So back to this recipe.

I’ve been making a version of this dish for decades. But for whatever reason, I had yet to post this recipe on my blog. I’m feeling very badly about this major culinary faux pas because this is such a perfect recipe for even a beginner in the kitchen. No fancy ingredients, unless you consider cognac a non-essential la-di-da ingredient, which I absolutely do not! No fancy instructions. Just a bit of common sense and a willingness to allow your oven to work its magic while you kick back and read a good book while sipping on a lovely libation. And doesn’t that sound great!?!?

So grab some inexpensive beef, take that essential bottle of cognac or brandy off your pantry shelf, and fix yourself and your family an old standard. Serve the Swiss steak with some form of potato/rice/grain and a green salad or veggie on the side, and ring the dinner gong. Dinner is ready.

• 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. round or boneless chuck steak, excess fat removed as much as possible – then cut into serving sized pieces 
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ med. onion, chopped
• 6-8 mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 2 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced
• ¼ tsp. dried thyme
• ¼ c. cognac or brandy
• ½ c. beef broth  
• 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes, (Italian if possible)
• 2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large covered Dutch oven or heavy pan. Liberally salt and pepper the steaks and fry them on each side until nicely browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Pour in the cognac, place the pan over heat, and stir until no liquid remains. (This usually takes less than a minute.) Then stir in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. Add the browned steak pieces and any juices back to the pan. Bring sauce to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. (Check after an hour to make sure there is enough liquid. If liquid is required, add about a half cup of water.) Continue braising until the beef is tender.

When the beef is tender, remove the pan from oven. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serve with mashed potatoes or our personal favorite, baked Yukon Gold potatoes. (The tomato gravy is amazing on either mashed potatoes or dolloped on a baked potato.)  A side of steamed green beans or a lovely salad is also wonderful with this dish.