Serious comfort food provides a comforting and familiar feeling. One bite and everything slows down. Sweet Daddy D's Cajun Smothered Round Steak fills the bill. Round steak slowly simmered in a delicious brown gravy until it falls apart and melts in your mouth. The rich flavor starts with browning the beef and the vegetables to form a flavorful foundation. It takes a little time, but with only about 10 ingredients plus some Herbs and Spices, it's magic in one pot.
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What makes this recipe so good?
Smothered dishes are common in Cajun cooking because it's a way to stretch meager resources into delicious meals that can feed a whole family. Most of the time, these can be done in one pot simmering slowly on the heat while the cook attends to other duties.
Round Steak is a less expensive cut which often means it's tough. That makes it perfect for a long simmer. The rich flavor of this recipe comes as much from the process as it does from the ingredients. The time invested in drawing out every bit of flavor from the individual ingredients and melding those flavors together pays off in tremendous flavor.
This recipe does not rely on a dark roux for its color or flavor. These start developing from the very first step and are established by the time the meat goes into the gravy to simmer. The result is immense flavor and meat so tender it falls apart. Invest the time and you will get a great return.
Here’s What You Need
Here are some of the key ingredients for this recipe:
Note on Round Steak: Round Steak comes from the rear leg muscle of the cow. Top Round comes from the upper inside section of the hind leg while Bottom Round comes from the outer part of the leg. Both cuts are relatively inexpensive and pretty tough. Top Round is a little more tender than Bottom Round and is my choice for this recipe, although Bottom Round would work well. Slowly simmering a Top or Bottom Round in a liquid will render it tender. Make sure to flatten and tenderize the beef before cooking. Round Steak is usually sold boneless but if you find one with a bone, grab it. Bones mean even more flavor.
Note on Mushrooms: I'm using mushrooms in this recipe as part of the flavor base built by slowly sauteeing the vegetable. The mushrooms (along with butter) add an earthiness to the base and will mostly cook down while the dish cooks for a couple of hours. If you want mushrooms to be more pronounced, add an additional 4 to 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms about an hour before the dish is finished.
Note on Stock: Beef stock is preferred for this recipe. If you don't have commercial beef stock, you can substitute bouillon cubes or chicken stock. If needed you can use water but it does not add any flavor.
Equipment
Here is some of the equipment I used in making this recipe:
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Here’s What You Do
First…you have a beer. To properly prepare yourself to make this recipe as easy as it can be (and it is pretty easy), sip a beer while you take a couple of minutes to read the recipe all the way through. Learn what ingredients and equipment you will need and what you will do with each. Using the mise en place process, you will prepare and organize the ingredients so that all you have to do is assemble the recipe. This also helps you to have the time this recipe needs to optimize its flavor.
Mise en place
To prepare the beef:
- Pat the round steak dry with a paper towel. Tenderize the beef by pounding with a tenderizer. Flatten the meat until it is between ¼ and ½ inch thick.
- Cut into approximate ¼ pound pieces about 4 inches square. This does not need to be exact.
- Season the beef by sprinkling both sides with kosher salt and Creole seasoning. Set aside.
To prepare the vegetables:
- Slice or quarter the mushrooms, if using.
- Slice yellow onions in half crossways, then slice each half into half-rings.
- Slice bell pepper in half, crossways, then into half-rings.
- Roughly chop garlic. (This recipe cooks for a long time, so chuncky garlic is perfect)
Mix the Herb and Spice Blend in a small prep bowl and set aside. Measure all the remaining ingredients and set them aside.
Brown the beef
What happens in this step? Great flavor is built in stages. Browning the beef dredged through flour will not only prepare the beef for a slow simmer but leaves a bit of fond in the pan to contribute to the flavor foundation.
In a heavy-bottom Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. The pan temperature should be about 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. It's simple to check the surface temperature with this pocket infrared thermometer from Thermoworks.
I am an affiliate of ThermoWorks which means that I earn a modest commission when you purchase a ThermoWorks product through my links. This will not affect the price you pay.
Season about 1 cup of AP Flour with kosher salt and ground pepper, then dredge the beef through it. Shake off the excess flour and carefully add it to the hot oil a piece at a time. Brown the floured beef for about 1 minute on each side.
Remove the browned beef and set it aside.
Tips:
- Brown the beef in batches to not overcrowd the Dutch oven, which may cause the beef to steam more than brown.
- Even though you shake off the excess flour, some of the flour will remain in the pan and assist with thickening in a later step.
- You may need to add a little oil to the Dutch oven between batches. Don't add too much!
- Make sure the pan comes back to temperature between batches.
Saute the vegetables
What happens in this step? A deep, rich gravy is the key to this recipe. We are not relying on a dark roux to establish the color. We began building the rich flavor and color in the previous step by building some fond. Now, sauteeing the vegetables in butter with the fond, then adding a little flour to help thicken will build the flavor and dark color we are looking for.
Once all the beef has been browned, lower the heat to medium and add the butter. When the butter is bubbly, add the mushrooms (if using) and saute for about 5 minutes.
Next, add the yellow onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring often for about 15 minutes until the onions are starting to caramelize. You should have some nice color starting to develop.
Note on deglazing the pan: Sauteeing the mushrooms and onions will draw out their natural water. This will help deglaze the pan bottom, releasing the fond. Make sure to gently scrape the bottom while you stir and mix the released fond into the vegetables. We will deglaze again when we add the stock if needed.
Add the garlic and about ½ of the Herb and Spice Blend (without the bay leaves). Saute until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
Add the 2 tablespoons of AP flour and mix well into the vegetables. Saute for about 5 minutes which will cook off the flour taste.
Add the remaining Herb and Spice Blend, the bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to thoroughly combine and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Make the gravy and smother the beef
What happens in this step? Now we have a flavor-packed base started with the vegetables and seasonings. To this, a rich stock is added and slowly simmered to make a fabulous gravy while tenderizing the beef.
Note on deglazing: After sauteing the vegetables and seasonings, there may be some fond on the pan's bottom. If so, use a little of the stock to deglaze this and mix the fond into the vegetables before adding the remaining stock.
Increase the heat to high, add the stock and bring it to a low boil. Stir to completely combine the stock with the vegetables. Lower the heat to maintain a heavy simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the browned beef back to the gravy (along with any juice that has accumulated) and stir so that all the beef is coated with gravy.
Lower the heat. Cover the Dutch oven and simmer for about 2 ½ to 3 hours until the beef is very tender and pulling apart. Stir regularly so that it does not stick to the bottom. If the gravy starts getting thicker than you want, add more stock or some water.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or Creole Seasoning, if needed.
When the beef is very tender, remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes, covered. Remove the bay leaves and serve.
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Hints and Tips (FAQs)
Simple rice and gravy are loved in South Louisiana and this is just the right dish to serve it. The gravy that comes from this recipe is so delicious, try it ladled over some white rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes. Mac and Cheese is also a sinful partner.
Leftover smothered round steak can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container. It can also be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months, again if it's stored in a freezer-safe air-tight container. You can store it safely longer than this, but for optimal quality, eat it within this time.
To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight (if needed), then add the leftovers to a Dutch oven and slowly simmer on the stovetop until it is heated all the way through. You may need or want to add a bit of beef stock or water if the gravy has gotten too thick.
This recipe was developed using top round beef, although the bottom round will work very well. Both are fairly lean cuts that tend to be tough, so they are perfect for slowly simmering in liquid until they are melt-in-your-mouth tender.
The process that delivers this unbelievable flavor takes time. If you don't have the time, this recipe can be made in an instant pot. Full disclosure, I am a traditionalist and don't really use an instant pot. However, I have consulted with a master of the instant pot and this recipe can be made very deliciously in less time by using one. Let me know if you try this in an instant pot. Who knows, maybe I'll use an instant pot one of these days.
There are so many side dishes that are perfect alongside Cajun Smothered Round Steak. Here are a few from Sweet Daddy D:
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Recipe
Cajun Smothered Round Steak
Here's What You Need
- 2 pounds top round steak
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
- 1 cup AP Flour seasoned with kosher salt and pepper
- ¼ cup Butter
- 4 cups Yellow onions sliced
- 2 cups Bell Pepper sliced
- 2 ½ tablespoons Garlic coarse chop
- 4 - 8 ounces mushrooms optional
- 3 cups Beef Stock
- 2 tablespoons AP Flour
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Herb and Spice Blend
- 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning plus some for beef
- 1 tablespoon Dry Thyme
- 2 Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt plus some for beef
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper plus some for beef
Here's What You Do
- Pat the round steak dry with a paper towel. Tenderize the beef by pounding with a tenderizer.
- Cut into approximate ¼ pound pieces about 4 inches square. This does not need to be exact.
- Sprinkle both sides of beef with kosher salt and Creole seasoning. Set aside.
- Slice yellow onions in half crossways, then slice each half into half-rings. Slice bell pepper in half, crossways, then into half-rings. Roughly chop garlic. Slice or quarter the mushrooms, if using.
- Mix the Herb and Spice Blend in a small prep bowl and set aside. Measure all the remaining ingredients and set them aside.
- In a cast-iron Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Season about 1 cup of AP Flour with kosher salt and ground pepper, then dredge the beef in it. Shake off the excess flour and carefully add it to the hot oil a piece at a time. Make sure not to overcrowd the Dutch oven, so do this in batches.
- Brown the floured beef for about 1 minute on each side. Remove the beef and set it aside.
- Once all the beef has been browned, lower the heat to medium and add the butter. When the butter is bubbly, add the mushrooms (if using) and saute another 5 minutes.
- Next add the yellow onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring often for about 15 minutes until the onions are starting to caramelize.
- Add the garlic and about ½ of the Herb and Spice Blend without the bay leaves. Saute until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
- Add the 2 tablespoons of AP flour and mix well into the vegetables. Saute for about 5 minutes until the flour taste has cooked off.
- Add the remaining Herb and Spice Blend, the bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to thoroughly combine and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Increase the heat to high, add the stock and bring to a low boil. Lower the heat to maintain a heavy simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the browned beef back to the gravy and stir so that all the beef is coated with gravy.
- Lower the heat. Cover the Dutch oven and simmer for about 2 ½ to 3 hours, until the beef is very tender and pulling apart. Stir occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom.
- Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or creole seasoning if needed. Add more stock if the gravy gets too thick.
- When the beef is very tender, remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes, covered. Remove the bay leaves and serve.
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