I Tried My Grandmother's Swiss Steak Recipe | Allrecipes

Join Nicole as she dives into her grandmother’s 1940s cookbook to recreate a classic recipe: Swiss Steak, also known as Smothered Steak. You might be wondering—does Swiss steak actually come from Switzerland? The answer is no! "Swiss" in this case refers to the technique of "swissing" the meat, which involves tenderizing tougher cuts like a rump roast.

Nicole follows her grandmother's original recipe, which simmers the beef in a delicious sauce made with tomatoes, bell peppers, and mushrooms. It’s comfort food at its finest—tender, savory, and full of flavor!

Watch as Nicole explores this retro recipe, sharing tips and tricks along the way, and discovers how this classic dish became a family favorite. If you’re looking for a hearty, nostalgic meal that’s sure to impress, this Swiss (smothered) steak recipe is the one to try!

00:00 – Introduction to Swiss Steak
1:20 – Preparing the Rump Roast
2:05 – "Swissing" the Steak
3:22 – Inside a 1942 Cookbook
3:37 – Dredging the Meat
4:53 – Preparing the Vegetable Sauce
6:03 – Cooking the Swiss Steak: Step-by-Step Instructions
7:10 – Cooking the Vegetables
8:04 – Smothering The Steak
9:03 – Plating The Dish
9:38 – Final Reveal: How It Looks & Tastes!

Get the recipe here:
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[arivanhxaybanha]

As a single mom of young adults and one 16 year old boy who is never full I would love more vintage recipe videos!

[lisabonnet]

Yes please! A vintage series would be amazing!!

[jims]

I'm 83 years old, been married to the same woman for 62 years. I grew up eating my Mom's Swiss Steak and we've been cooking it for our 62 years of marriage. Love Swiss Steak, but we've never put carrots or mushrooms in it, just the onions, peppers & tomatoes. Good job Mrs. McMom! :)

[sandrakeen]

I’m 62 now and I was the primary cook when my mother would work late in my early teen years. We made Swiss steak with round steak that we had pounded. We would also cook it in the electric fry pan that we had that sat on the counter.

[cynthiamickle]

Yes! A "Vintage Recipe" series would be fabulous! Thank your mom for us!

[Gigi-fvky]

I would ❤️ a vintage series. My grandmothers and my mother are all gone now and it’s been at least 20 years since I had my mother’s cooking, but this is the type of food I grew up with and we definitely ate it with rice. It fills part of the loneliness of being alone at Christmas to see such a nostalgic food being prepared. Really hope you continue.

[Jae-Lv]

Please do a vintage recipe series from your grandmothers cookbook! Do an entire meal in one video. That would be so fun. 😊

[kinjunranger]

I ate this once a month growing up. And yes, a vintage series would be a walk down memory lane for me.

[DZ-rlut]

Definitely a series would be wonderful. Grew up with Swiss steak❤❤❤

[camiec]

A vintage series would be terrific. My mom used the cube steak to make the Swiss steak. Thank you. 😊😊🥰👋👋🎄

[GaryCinChicago]

Many of us grew up with and miss these old dishes, so more recipes please.

[theresamc]

My nan made this using cubed steak. Soooo good served up with mashed potatoes, fresh green beans and cornbread. 😋

[craftyflalady]

I love Swiss Steak! A favorite for me! I make mine very much like this. With mashed potatoes, I am in heaven.😊

[michaelhoyt]

I've been looking for this recipe forever (I just turned 64 and haven't had it in 50 yrs.) My mom used to make it and I loved it. It is exactly the one. Thank you!!!

[melissavermillion]

I love vintage recipes like this one. I think it would be great for you to do a series. My mom's cookbook looks very much like your Grandma's, only it's dark green.
I would love recipes using Chuck roasts, too.

[sarx]

My mother made a dish like this in the ‘70s’. The ingredients and initial prep were just like this. To “sell it” to us kids, she told us it was “pizza steak”. She would finish the dish by putting the medallions into a Pyrex backing dish, putting slices and mozzarella on each medallion and the broiling it for a few minutes in the oven. We loved that dish!

[pibbitybibbity]

Oh my gosh, I forgot about swiss steak! I haven’t eaten it since the early ‘80s when I was in high school. My mom used to make this. I don’t remember her using carrots in it, but it’s been 41+ years since I had it so my memory is not reliable. I do remember she would brown/pan fry the meat, sauté the veggies, then assemble everything in her avocado-green Rival Crock-Pot! I always assumed as a kid it was a recipe from Switzerland because I didn’t know any better and this is the first time I’ve learned that “swissing” was the act of tenderizing the meat with a meat hammer. My mom never did that part, but I’m assuming the crock-pot process helped tenderize it because I don’t remember it being tough.
Thanks for the nostalgia!

[JoyceRichardson-vj]

When the name of cookbook was mentioned I ran to my cookbooks because I have my mom's Woman's Home Companion Cookbook. I thought I would look at page 480 as shown in the video and there it was...Swiss Steak! Can't wait to try this recipe and others from the cookbook. 😊

[bonniepwtf]

I would love to see more of these old school recipes!❤

[melindafisher]

Swiss steak was something my mother made at home, but never really had a written recipe. I love it and am happy that you showed us your method! You are my favorite cooking show to watch because you just have so much fun cooking and occasionally adding a beverage! Thx for this preparation!