Smothered steak with roasted broccoli

Day 2 of the South. 

Salt and pepper a 2 pound round steak.  Dredge in flour.  Brown in 3 tbsp oil.  Remove from pan.  Add 2 chopped onions, 1 chopped bell pepper, 1/2 chopped celery to pan.  Season with salt and pepper and cayenne pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add 1 cup beef stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Add meat back to pan, along with 2 more chopped onions, 1/2 chopped celery and another chopped bell pepper.  Cover and cook.  The recipe said to cook it for 1 1/2 hours.  The steak was rock hard at that point.  I cooked it a total of 2 1/2 hours.   Served with rice and roasted broccoli.  This recipe was adapted from Alex Patut's Cajun Home Cooking.   (copyright date:  1952)


I also cooked the rice the way he recommended.  It's interesting how differently rice is cooked all over the world.  He didn't specify the type of rice, so since we have a ton of basmati, that's what I used.  I put about a cup and a half of rice in a pan.  (He specifically says don't worry about measuring!).  Fill pan with water about 2 inches above the level of the rice.  Boil rapidly uncovered until water is below rice line.  Cover and turn to low.  Cook 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat, leave covered another 15 minutes.  No peeking.

The broccoli was simply tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Roast in 375 degree oven about 35 minutes.  (I left mine in too long.  Jack is convinced it tasted like brussel sprouts!)