I promised myself I would not mess with this recipe. I was not going to change it one iota. It was going to be just as it is written in the cook book. A simple recipe with simple flavors. It was going to taste like it did years ago when our grandmothers made it. I promised myself. Well. . .

You have probable guessed by now I changed it.

I got to the kitchen and it just looked so plain. Here is my thinking: "The recipe is not going to have much flavor, really. It is just going to need something. I should add it now so it cooks in with all the other flavors. If I wait till later, after it is done, I may find it lacking somehow. If it is going to need something I had better add it now."

This is the recipe. It is from an old cooking booklet called The Metropolitan Cook Book. It was published by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. It has no copyright date but I would guess it to be from the 1930's.

Swiss Steak

Here is what I did to this poor, little, innocent recipe:

Peel the label off the can of tomatoes. Wash the can well and you now have the meat pounder you need to continue. Lightly sprinkle the meat with pepper. And place on a firm flat surface. Sprinkle liberally with flour and begin pounding the steak with the bottom of the can of tomatoes. Turn and pound in more flour on the other side. Flip again and keep flouring and pounding till the steak has taken up a bit of the flour and is thinner, about ½ inch, more or less. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer add the steaks and brown well on each side. Toss in the celery and onion and pour over all the canned tomatoes. Cover and place in 350 degree oven. Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours or till tender. Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.