Baked Steak with Onions and Mushrooms

By DreiFromBK

Baked steak, also called smothered steak, is a mostly hands-off dinner that makes the best of inexpensive steaks. Since these steaks (think blade, chuck, or round steaks) have more connective tissue than tender (and expensive) cuts like filets, they respond best to braising. We chose blade steaks for their great flavor and found that this slow-cooking method melted the thin line of gristle that bisects the meat. Browning the steaks with cornstarch before adding the other ingredients introduces flavor to the steaks, creates fond in the pan, and helps thicken the sauce. A base of raw onions and mushrooms forms a bed for the steaks; as they oven-braise in a covered skillet for 2 hours, they steam and release flavorful liquid that becomes the sauce (no broth is necessary). A tablespoon each of tomato paste and soy sauce gives the sauce depth and intensity, and rosemary and parsley add a note of freshness.
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Ingredients

• 6 6
• You can use white button mushrooms in place of the cremini.
• Ingredients
• 6 6 to 8-ounce) 1 8-ounce) beef blade steaks, 1 inch thick, trimmed
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 1/3 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 2 2 onions, halved and sliced thin
• 8 8 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
• 2 2 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 2 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Details

Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Spread cornstarch in shallow dish. Working with 1 steak at a time, dredge steaks in cornstarch, shaking off excess, and transfer to plate.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 3 steaks at a time and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side, then return to plate. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining 3 steaks.

3. Remove skillet from heat and discard oil. Combine water, soy sauce, and tomato paste in now-empty skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in onions, mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place steaks in single layer on top of onion mixture and add any accumulated steak juices.

4. Cover skillet, transfer to oven, and bake for 2 hours. Uncover and continue to bake until steaks are browned and fork tender, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer steaks to platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Season onion mixture with salt and pepper to taste and spoon over steaks. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.