Oven Cooked Steak

Many years ago, my grandmother introduced a steak recipe to our family that was wonderful and tasty. I believe the origins of the recipe was on a Lipton's Onion Soup® (dry mix) box. It has been often duplicated and improvised over the years, and I also have added my own personal touches to the mix.

Her original steak was very simple. Using a plain sirloin or "round steak/roast," place your steak in a Pyrex® baking dish large enough to hold the steak without cramping it. Sprinkle an entire packet (undiluted) of the Lipton's Onion Soup® directly onto the meat. Spread the soup evenly over the entire steak. Cover with foil, and bake in a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven until the meat is tender. The meat steams itself under the foil, hydrating the onion soup mix, and the result is a very tasty and tender steak. However, the onion soup mix tends to be very salty.

My new and improved version of the "onion steak" is to make my own lower sodium version. In a small bowl, I blend the following:

1/2 cup of dried onion flakes

1 large yellow onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon (low sodium) soy sauce

1 cup light Italian salad dressing

8 oz. frozen vegetables (your choice)

Mix well with a fork and spoon over the meat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the steak to marinate sufficiently. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not discard the marinade; it hasn't sat on the meat long enough to be a threat to you and your loved ones. Cover with foil, and bake until tender (as in the original recipe); usually 40 minutes or so.

Your steak is virtually fool proof. Of course, you can tweak the marinade ingredients if some of them are not to your liking. You can make it as simple as Italian dressing only. It's totally up to you. Oven cooked steak is simple and fabulous!