Round Up Beef

Built to feed 20 to 25 people, this is crowd-cooking at its most practical. Ten pounds of round steak cut into strips, dredged in seasoned flour, browned, then braised for 2 hours in a sweet-tangy sauce of ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire. The sauce sounds simple, but the combination of sweet, sour, and savory creates a sticky, barbecue-style glaze that coats every strip of beef.

Round steak is lean and tough, which is exactly why the long braise works. Those 2 hours of low, covered cooking break down the connective tissue until the strips are fork-tender. The flour dredge thickens the sauce as it cooks, turning the braising liquid into a thick, clingy gravy.

Three cups of ketchup and over a cup each of brown sugar and red wine vinegar make the sauce bold enough to stand up to 10 pounds of meat. Five chopped onions dissolve into the sauce during the braise, adding sweetness and body.

This freezes beautifully. Make the full batch, portion it out, and you’ve got ready-made meals for weeks.

Chef Tips

• Brown the beef strips in batches. Crowding the pan steams the meat instead of searing it, and you lose that caramelized crust.
• Stir occasionally during the 2-hour braise. The sugars in the sauce can stick and scorch on the bottom.
• The sauce thickens as it cools. If reheating from frozen, add a splash of water to loosen it back up.
• Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice to catch all that sauce.

Variations

• Scale it down: Quarter the recipe for a family-sized dinner. Use 2 ½ pounds of beef and reduce everything proportionally.
• Spicy kick: Add a tablespoon of hot sauce or a teaspoon of cayenne to the sauce for heat.
• Slow cooker version: Brown the beef, combine everything in a slow cooker, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.