Preparation:
Trim fat from meat, put it in the skillet and cook over low heat until just enough grease cooks out to lubricate the pan. (You could substitute 1 or 2 tsp vegetable oil, but beef fat tastes better.) Cut the round steak into serving pieces and brown slowly on both sides.
When the meat is brown, remove it from the pan, pour off all but a thin skim of grease and brown the onions.
When the onions are light brown, add flour and stir until the flour disappears. Add 1 cup water and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Return the meat to the pan, stir in the juice from the tomato can, cover, and simmer about 1/2 hour.
While it cooks, cut up the carrots and celery, and break up the tomatoes. Add the vegetables and a little more water if it seems dry, and simmer for another 1/2 hour.
Check the meat for tenderness. If it's not yet fork-tender, stir to prevent scorching and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. The vegetables should be very soft and beginning to fall apart. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes to absorb the vegetable gravy.
Notice no salt is added. Celery is moderately high in sodium, so between that and salted canned tomatoes, no more is needed |
