The Key Swiss Steak Ingredient You Need For Maximum Flavor

It's a relatively universal feeling that bacon makes everything better. There are few foods that are exempt from this mindset, and that includes Swiss steak. In this instance, the porky flavor boost comes from bacon grease, a staple ingredient straight out of Mid-century diner Americana that deserves a comeback. Alton Brown swears by this addition for layers of flavor and that comforting feel from a bygone era.

Despite the name, Swiss steak has no definitive ties to Switzerland. As far as food historians can tell, the name instead comes from the English term "swissing," referring to tenderizing the meat from pounding or rolling it flat which is the first step in making a delicious Swiss steak. Now, Brown's Swiss steak recipe is not to be confused with the classic Salisbury steak dish that uses ground beef patties. You'll slice your roast (either bottom round, top round, or chuck) with the grain into half inch-thick pieces. 

With Brown's recipe you'll dredge the pieces in flour before the swissing commences. Pro-tip: lay a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap over the sliced steaks prior to tenderizing them so you don't fling little bits of red meat around your kitchen. When the meat has sufficiently taken the brunt of your pent-up aggressions and is ready for its initial browning, add enough bacon grease to coat the bottom of your Dutch oven and wait for the grease to shimmer. Once the bacon grease looks like it's dancing in the light, it's ready for the meat.

After the meat is browned and removed from the heat, the rest of the ingredients (aromatics like onion, celery, tomatoes and tomato paste and seasonings like Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and pepper) are added and sautéed for a couple minutes, soaking up the residual bacon grease and beef bits that stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Once the other ingredients have cooked down some, you'll toss the steaks back in, cover, and pop the whole thing in the oven. This recipe takes about three hours to make from start to finish, so don't plan on serving it for a fast weeknight dinner. In this slow cooking process, all the complex flavors cook down and marry together, creating a textural and flavorful hug in food form.

This dish is perfect for a '50s themed party or when you miss the comfort food of the decade. As an added bonus, pair Swiss steak with another of Alton Brown's favorites, baked Alaska, just make sure you have your oversized blow torch at the ready. Who needs a DeLorean to travel back in time when you can enjoy these two together for the same effect? On the chance you have more leftover bacon grease after preparing Swiss steak, you can use it to make a salty, decadent bacon-infused aioli perfect for doubling up the bacon on your next BLT, another icon of early 20th century American cuisine.