Sometimes, a bit of comfort is called for and smothered steak, mashed potatoes and spinach certainly does the trick in my book. This was an easy dish to simmer slowly while I did house work as I ended a travel season. I do enjoy eating out on occasion, but there is something to be said about a home-cooked meal and this dish popped into my head. I picked up some sliced beef shoulder steak and beef round steak since they were both small packages and seared and braised them slowly in a thickened beef stock with onion and bell pepper. You can always use any cut of beef you like, but braising works better for tougher meats to help break the meat down and make the steak tender. Also, both cuts of beef were inexpensive and became perfectly tender. Whether with rice or potatoes as I had them, the smothered steak will be tasty both ways. Also, though I cooked spinach, I also brought a bag of mixed greens for a couple of easy salads during the week. Check out the recipe for the steak below.

Ingredients:
1 pack of shoulder steak (1/2 – 3/4 lb.)
1 pack of beef round steak (1/2 lb.)
1 can beef stock
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. coarse black pepper
1 tbsp. sea salt
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup water.

Directions:
1. Set out steaks 10 minutes before ready to cook to let meat rest.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. While heating, season one side of the steak with 1/4 of the seasoning.
4. Add season-side down and season other side with a fourth of salt and pepper. (If all of the steaks don’t fit in one layer, brown in two batches.) Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove meat from pan to s large plate and add water to deglaze pan. Add butter and flour and whisk until light brown. Add stock and remaining seasoning and mix well.
6. Peel and thinly slice onion. Rinse and slice bell pepper before chopping it large and adding both to the pan.
7. Place steak of top of vegetables, top and reduce heat to low or simmer.
8. Let cook for 30-40 minutes. Cook potatoes or rice in the last 20 minutes of cooking so it is ready at the same time.
9. The salad or spinach can be prepared in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
10. Plate and enjoy.