Smothered Round Steak
Cajun smothered round steak braised low and slow with the holy trinity of onions, bell peppers, and celery until fork-tender. Serve sliced over rice with all that pot gravy.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsDown in Louisiana, smothering means burying a piece of meat under a heap of vegetables and letting everything braise together until the gravy practically makes itself.
Round steak gets a three-pepper seasoning and a hard sear, then cooks covered with onions, bell peppers, and celery until it surrenders to your fork.
The vegetables melt into a thick, rich gravy that you’ll want to spoon over every grain of rice on the plate.
Pro Tips
- Lard the steak with garlic slivers before cooking for an extra layer of flavor that hits from the inside out.
- Keep the heat as low as possible once you cover the pot. This is a patience game, not a race.
- Veal stock instead of beef takes the gravy to another level if you can get your hands on some.
- Works with other cuts too. Try chuck roast or even pork shoulder, just adjust your cook time until the meat is tender.
Ingredients
Directions
Season the roast with one half of the salt and peppers.
Dust with flour on all sides.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the steak, and brown well on all sides.
Remove the meat and pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the oil.
Add half the onions, bell peppers, celery, and the other half of the seasonings, and the stock or water.
Stir well and reduce the heat to the lowest possible point.
Return the roast to the pot and cover with the remaining vegetables.
Cover and let cook until the meat is very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Serve the meat in slices, with rice alongside and the gravy over all.
When you try this recipe with other kinds of meat, be sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly--let tenderness be your guide.
For extra flavorful roasts, try larding with slivers of garlic before smothering.
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