Food - Drink
The Unique Method That Inspired The Name For Swiss Steak
By LISA CURRAN MATTE
It turns out, the ‘swiss’ in Swiss steak has nothing to do with Switzerland — in fact, even the term ‘steak’ is used loosely in this reference. The ‘swiss’ isn’t where it’s from, it’s actually referring to the technique — and even the tool used — that describes how the meat is prepared.
Swissing is a method for tenderizing meat, and while most recipes for Swiss steak call for pounding the meat with a mallet, there is actually a tool known as a swisser that's made for the job. They may be difficult to find, unless you know what you're looking for — the handheld version of the bladed tenderizer looks kind of like a round upside-down bed of nails.
You can also skip a step and buy pre-tenderized cube steak, which is cut from the round or rump and processed through an automated swisser with dozens of tiny blades. As the meat rolls through the machine, the automatic blades rapidly poke the meat, making hundreds of tiny cuts, breaking connective tissue, and tenderizing it in the process.