Friday, March 12, 2010

Swiss Steak


Did you know that the "Swiss" in Swiss Steak is derived from an English term for the process of smoothing cloth between sets of rollers? In the case of steak, swissing refers to flattening or tenderizing the meat by pounding or cubing before it is cooked.

I didn't swiss any steaks yesterday. Rather I put the browned meat in the crockpot atop potatoes, onions, and sliced carrots, and poured diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over the whole concoction. Seven hours later we had a wonderful dinner featuring tender meat, perfectly cooked veggies, and a rich tomato gravy.

Did you know that umami, the term for the fifth taste (in addition to sweet, sour, salt, and bitter) is derived from Japanese, where the word means, literally, deliciousness?

We had Swiss Steak for supper again tonight, after walking the dogs and taking a quick trip to the grocery store. We were lucky to get our walk in before the afternoon mist became heavier and more steady. Not much more to write about at present. We're awaiting Spring's arrival, and how better to wait than with a bowl of slow-cooked deliciousness, a hunk of good bread, and a glass of amber ale? OK, OK, we had some ice cream, too. I guess that was better.

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