Top round steak is often prepared as a slow-cooked roast, as it's lean and can get tough when cooked. However, turning it into swiss steak can ensure it ends up tender and tastier.

The name "swiss steak" refers to "swissing," a technique that involves pounding meat with the spiky side of a meat mallet to tear through its tough muscle fibers and tenderize it.

To make swiss steak, you simply braise a swissed steak. Braising is when you slowly cook meat in a simmering liquid, which, in this case, should be a rich tomato and onion sauce.

This way, the dish combines two tenderization methods: swissing and braising. You can also cook a top round over high heat, though you'll need to make some adjustments.

Cooking a top round over high heat using a cast iron pan or grill yields a nice sear, but to avoid a tough and stringy piece of meat, you'll need to marinate top round steaks.

An acidic ingredient like red wine vinegar will work best. Marinate the cut for four to six hours before cooking and be sure not to cook it beyond medium rare, or it’ll toughen up.