Creole-Style Steak

I only have three words for this dish.

Oh.  My.  Gawd.

Yes, it was yummy.

In my never ending quest to find new ways to cook a freezer full of inexpensive cuts of beef, I ran across a version of this recipe while looking for main dishes that would go well with baked cheese grits.  Would it go well with the cheese grits?  Yes indeed it would, but it was just fine with plain white rice.

Because you are using an inexpensive cut of beef, this dish takes awhile to cook, so you may want to start it early, make it on the weekend, or plan on a late dinner (we chose the latter option).  I imagine it would do well in the crock pot, if you don’t mind skipping the step of sweating the onions to soften and sweeten them.

Also, everything in the dish are things you should either already have on hand or are readily available at the grocery store, and don’t let the list of ingredients intimidate you -  it is very easy and inexpensive to make.  Everyone in our family just loved it, including The Young One, which is saying something.

Creole-Style Steak

serves 4 – 6

3 pounds boneless chuck steak

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, thickly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and cut in to large pieces

1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups beef broth or bouillon

1 – 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 heaping tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Season the steak lightly with salt and pepper.  Heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat and brown the steak on both sides; remove from the pan and reserve on a plate.

Add the other two tablepoons of oil to the skillet, lower the heat to medium low and add the onion, carrot and bell pepper to the skillet; saute briefly, stirring frequently, until the onions are wilted but not brown.  Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Add the beef stock, tomato sauce, brown sugar and spices to the vegetables, stirring well.  Return the steaks to the skillet along with any juices that might have collected on the plate, spooning the vegetables and liquid over them.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the steaks are fork tender.  Uncover the pan the last 15 – 20 minutes of cooking to let the sauce thicken slightly if desired.