Cola Steak

Cola and beef might sound like an odd pairing, but this slow cooker trick has been a Southern secret for decades. Round steak, one of the toughest and cheapest cuts, goes into the crock pot with cola, ketchup, and onions and comes out fall-apart tender after a long, slow braise.

The cola does two things. Its acidity works on the tough connective tissue in the round steak, breaking it down over the hours-long cook. And the sugar caramelizes into the sauce, creating a dark, glossy gravy with a sweet-tangy backbone that tastes nothing like soda.

Dredging the steak portions in flour before adding them to the pot thickens the sauce as it cooks. By the time dinner rolls around, you’ve got tender beef sitting in a rich, clingy gravy with no extra steps required.

Pro Tips

• Use regular cola, not diet. The sugar is what creates the caramelized sauce. Diet cola makes the gravy thin and metallic-tasting.
• Trim visible fat from the round steak before cooking. The long cook renders plenty of flavor from the meat itself, and extra fat makes the sauce greasy.
• Cook on low for the full 8 to 10 hours. Round steak needs that long, gentle heat to become tender. Rushing it on high leaves it chewy.
• Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice to soak up the gravy.

Variations

• Root beer steak: Swap cola for root beer to get a more complex, herbal sweetness in the sauce.
• Dr Pepper version: Use Dr Pepper for a slightly spicier, more aromatic gravy.
• Mushroom cola steak: Add sliced mushrooms to the crock pot for extra umami depth.