Lean round steak, tenderized by pounding with a meat mallet, gains intense flavor from a hearty tomato-vegetable sauce in this recipe. You can simmer the meat on the range or, if you prefer, bake it in the oven.

Savory Swiss Steak

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 1/2 pounds round steak, cut 1-inch thick

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon drippings

1 (14.50-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 cup sliced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

2 or 3 carrots, diced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar, firmly packed

Salt and ground pepper

1. Mix flour with mustard. Sprinkle flour mixture over steak and pound it in with a cleated meat mallet. Cut pounded steak into serving-size pieces.
2. Heat oil in a wide, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. add meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides. If you are baking meat, transfer it to a shallow baking pan.
3. Add tomatoes and their liquid, onions, celery, carrots, Worcestershire and sugar to meat in baking pan or frying pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Cover and bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven (or bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer) until meat is tender when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours.

Makes 4 servings.