Saucy Cajun Round Steak - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 lb round steak
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 slices bacon, chopped
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

In a large plastic bag, shake together flour, salt and pepper.
Cut steak into 8 pieces.
One piece at a time, seal steak in bag; pound with meat mallet to 1/4 inch thikcness, working flour mixture into meat.
Reserve any remaining flour mixture.
In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat; brown meat well, in batches if necessary.
Remove to plate.
Add bacon to pan; cook over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.
Drain off fat.
Add onions, garlic, celery, Cajun seasoning and thyme; cook, stirring until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with any reserved flour mixture, cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Whisk tomato paste into stock; pour into pan,.
Return steaks and any accumulated juices to pan.
Cover and simmer over low heat, turning steaks halfway through, 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Add green pepper.
Simmer, covered until steaks are fork tender and green pepper is tender crisp, about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with green onions and parsley.
Crockpot Version: Follow first paragraph as directed, In frypan, brown meat, transfer to crockpot.
Whisk tomato paste into 2 cups beef stock; pour into frypan and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits, pour into crockpot.
Add remaining ingredients, except green pepper, green onions and parsley.
Cover and cook, stirring twice, until meat is tender, on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.
Add green pepper, cook on high for 15 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with fresh onions and parsley.