Swiss Steak

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 pound top round steak

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 peeled thickly sliced yellow onions

5 thickly sliced ribs of celery

1 large peeled cut in half thickly sliced carrot

4 finely minced garlic cloves

1 ½ cups beef stock

28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, no juice

1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Start by cutting the steak into 4 individual pieces that are roughly 8 ounces each. If you want smaller pieces of steak, cut each 8-ounce piece in half again so there are 8 4-ounce pieces.
2. Place the swissed steaks into a plastic zip bag and pound using a mallet until it is about a ¼” to ½” thick.
3. Set the steak on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and generously season on both sides with salt and pepper.
4. In the meantime, prepare the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.
5. In a wide shallow bowl or a 9” cake tin, mix together the flour and salt.
6. Dredge the steak on both sides in the flour and place them back on the sheet tray with parchment paper.
7. Next, head the oil in a large 6-quart rondeau or sauce pot over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
8. Add the steak, turn the heat down to medium, and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until well browned on both sides. You may need to do this in batches.
9. Set the steak to the side on a plate, and then add the onions to the pot and lightly caramelize over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes while occasionally stirring.
10. Once browned, add in the celery and carrots and sauté for medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until they begin to lightly brown.
11. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds or until fragrant-season with vegetables with salt.
12. Deglaze with beef stock and add in the hand-crushed whole peeled tomatoes.
13. Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
14. Add back in the steak, cover the pot, and cook over low heat for 2 to 2 hours and 15 minutes or until steak is fork tender.
15. Garnish with optional finely minced parsley and serve.

Sweet Potato Pie

Serves: 10 to 12

Ingredients

For the Filling:

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, totaling about 50 ounces

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

½ cup whole milk

1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Crust:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/2 cup of ice cold cubed butter

1/4 cup ice cold water

For the Marshmallow Merengue:

3 large egg whites

¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar

¼ cup of sugar

1 7- ounce jar of marshmallow fluff

Instructions

1. Add the sweet potatoes to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or a pan and sporadically poke holes on all sides with a fork.
2. Bake them in the oven on a middle rack at 375° for 60 to 65 minutes or until tender. Baking over other cooking methods will help them develop a richer flavor and sweeter taste.
3. In the meantime, add the flour, sugar, salt, and cold butter to a food processor and pulse on high speed until the mixture resembles a meal.
4. Slowly drizzle in the cold water while pulsing until the dough firms up. When pinched with your fingers, it easily holds shape.
5. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and form it into a disc. Generously dust it with flour on both sides. Roll out the dough until it is roughly ¼” thick and about 16 to 18 inches in diameter.
6. Transfer the dough to a 10” by 2” tart pan with a removable bottom lined with a parchment paper round. Form the dough into the pie tin and trim any access. Chill in the refrigerator until the sweet potatoes are done baking.
7. Remove the potatoes and let them cool slightly before peeling them using your hands or a paring knife.
8. Add them to a large bowl along with the brown sugar, eggs, butter, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and milk, and using a firm whisk, mix until combined.
9. Pour the filling into the pie crust and level it using a spatula.
10. Place the pie on a sheet tray and bake on a middle rack for 60 to 65 minutes at 375° or until it becomes firm on top and in the center. When it's done, It should read 175° F internally.
11. While the pie is cooking, add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar to a standing mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until they’ve reached medium peaks, about 90 to 120 seconds.
12. Next, add the marshmallow whip and mix on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks, which takes about an additional minute.
13. When the pie is done cooking, add the marshmallow meringue to the top of the pie in any decoration you’d like.
14. Bake on a middle rack at 425° for 10 minutes or until the meringue is browned. Serve the pie hot, at room temperature, or chilled.