Smothered Beefsteak
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare and sear
Pound the salted flour into the meat using the edge of a saucer, first on one side and then the other.
Melt suet or lard in a heavy iron skillet until very hot.
Sear the meat well on both sides in the hot fat.
Simmer
Pour boiling water over the meat until nearly covered.
Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 2½ hours.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Upper cut of round steak
- Provides the main protein, which turns tender during long, slow simmering.
- Salted flour
- Coats the surface so the meat browns well and the gravy thickens.
- Suet or lard
- Conducts heat for searing and adds rich fat flavour to the meat.
The step that matters
Sear the meat well on both sides in the hot fat. Searing over high heat browns the flour-coated surface through the Maillard reaction, building deep savoury flavour that carries into the gravy. Meat that is pale or under-seared will taste flat.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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