Swiss Steaks and Mashed Potatoes

Slow-cooked steaks with tomatoes and onions with mashed potatoes and gravy

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City/Region: United States of America

Time Period: 1945

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Being a crew member aboard a submarine during World War II was one of the most dangerous jobs in the US military with a fatality rate of over 20%. This, and the extremely cramped and uncomfortable quarters, were why the food aboard a US sub was really good. If nothing else, at least you had delicious food to keep you going.

These steaks cook up to be fall-apart tender and delicious, and the mashed potatoes have wonderful flavor, even if the texture is a little different from regular mashed potatoes. They kind of remind me of the mashed potatoes I’d get as a kid in school, which were also probably made from dehydrated potatoes.

“SWISS BEEF STEAKS
Portion: 1 (6-ounce) steak.
100 PORTIONS
Beef, bone-in……60 pounds
OR
Beef, boneless……42 pounds
Flour……2 pounds……1/2 gallon
Salt……6 ounces……3/4 cup
Pepper……1/2 ounce……1 3/4 tablespoons
Fat……2 pounds……1 quart
Tomatoes……12 pounds, 12 ounces……2 No. 10 cans (6 1/2 quarts).
Onions, sliced……6 pounds……4 1/2 quarts
Salt……1 ounce……2 tablespoons
Flour (for gravy)......1 pound……1 quart
Water, cold……
Cut meat into 6-ounce steaks 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick.
Sift together flour, salt and pepper. Pound into steaks.
Cook steaks in fat until browned on both sides. Place in roasting pans.
Add tomatoes. Cover with onion slices. Sprinkle with 1 ounce salt.
Cover pans. Cook in slow oven (300°F.) 3 hours or until steaks are tender.
Drain liquid from Swiss steaks. Make a paste of flour and water. Stir into steak liquid. Cook until thickened. Pour over steaks. Reheat.

MASHED POTATOES (Using dehydrated, shredded potatoes)
Portion: Approx. 4 1/2 ounces (approx. 2/3 cup).
100 PORTIONS
Water……5 pounds, 8 ounces……2 gallons
Potato shreds, dehydrated, precooked……5 pounds……2 gallons
Salt……3 ounces……6 tablespoons
Milk, liquid, hot……3/4 gallon
Butter, melted……1 pound……1 pint
Heat water to vigorous boil. Pour over potatoes. Cover.
Let stand in warm place 15 minutes or over low heat 10 minutes.
Add salt. Stir vigorously 15 to 20 minutes or until smooth.
Add milk and butter. Whip until light. Serve immediately.”

— The Cook Book of the United States Navy by the United States Department of the Navy Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, Washington, D.C., 1945

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Ingredients:

Swiss Steaks

• 3 1/2 pounds (1.5 kg) boneless beef, something that stands up well to a long cook time, I used chuck roast
• 1 cup (120 g) flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) oil, but I think you could cut this as much as half
• 1 pound (450 g) canned chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 pound (225 g) sliced onions
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water, more or less as desired

Mashed Potatoes

• 1 quart (1 L) water
• 2/3 pound (300 g) dehydrated shredded potatoes*
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) milk
• 4 tablespoons (55 g) melted butter

*See notes below.

Instructions:

1. For the steaks: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Slice the beef into steaks about 1 to 1 1/2 inches (3 to 4 cm) thick.
3. Whisk together 2/3 cup (80 g) of the flour with 1 tablespoon of the salt and the pepper.
4. Dredge the steaks in the flour mixture, making sure to press the flour into the meat and that the steaks are coated on all sides.
5. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. When it’s shimmering, place the steaks in and cook until well browned, then carefully flip them (they may sputter in the hot oil) and cook on the other side.
6. When the steaks are well browned on both sides, place them in a baking dish and cover them evenly with the tomatoes, then the sliced onions on top of that. Sprinkle the last 1/2 teaspoon of salt over it all and cover it.
7. Bake for 3 hours or until the steaks are nice and tender.
8. When the steaks are done, drain off as much of the liquid as you can into a small saucepan.
9. In a bowl, mix together the remaining 1/3 cup (40 g) flour with enough water to make a paste. The original recipe isn’t specific on the amount or how thick the paste should be, but I used about 1/3 cup (80 ml) of water. I would err on the thicker side because you can always thin the sauce out later if you like.
10. Whisk the flour paste into the liquid from the steaks. Cook this over medium high heat, whisking constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until you have a nice, thickened sauce. You can add more water to thin it out if you’d like.
11. For the potatoes: Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, then add the dehydrated shredded potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium and boil them for about 10 to 20 minutes, or until they’re mostly softened. You may need to add a little more water if it all gets absorbed.
12. Add the salt and mash them with a potato masher. They probably won’t get completely smooth, but that’s okay. Stir in the milk and melted butter.
13. Whip the potato mixture vigorously. I found a stand mixer to be very helpful for this, and in just a few minutes, they fluffed up into something pretty close to mashed potatoes. If you use a stand mixer, start on a lower speed to get things going, then work up to high. You could use a whisk or a hand mixer for this, it’ll just take longer.
14. When the potatoes are whipped, serve them forth with the steaks and gravy.

Notes

• Link to dehydrated potato shreds: https://amzn.to/44AwubD

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