I often buy ball point steaks because they are less expensive than other steaks. This cut comes from the top of the round or tenderloin. It is not as tender as other steaks, such as the ribeye, and requires careful preparation. Ball point steaks take well to frying and marinades. They can be roasted over charcoal, grilled or stewed.

This cut tastes good. Some steaks are an inch and a half or thicker. Before cooking thick steaks in a cast iron skillet, I cut them in half horizontally to ensure doneness. The tenderness of this cut ranges from barely chewy to chewy and quite tender. However, it is not as tender as the tenderloin or ribeye.

There is an old butcher shop in my town and I love going there because the meat is amazing and the staff is friendly. I recently bought some round tip steaks and they were huge, seven inches long and two inches thick. How should I cook them? I decided to use the meat for stew and the recipe I created came from the ingredients I had on hand.

I had a box of fresh mushrooms in the fridge and decided to add them to the stew. He also had a large package of Roma tomatoes, the result of buying at a discount store, too many tomatoes for a couple. Although we had been eating tomatoes regularly, I was afraid that the rest would go bad and decided to add them to the stew.

You can make this recipe in a Dutch oven or slow cooker. I went for the slow cooker method and the stew was delicious. We had it for two meals and I froze the rest. Serve the stew with crackers or crusty bread and a mixed green salad. This recipe makes about eight servings.

INGREDIENTS

2-2 1/2 pounds ball point steak

2 teaspoons reduced sodium salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Olive oil (as necessary)

3 cups reduced sodium beef broth

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup very dry sherry

8-ounce box mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

2 cups frozen French cut green beans

2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped

4 tablespoons cornstarch (or more)

cold water

METHOD

1. Insert liner into slow cooker.

2. Cut fillets into 1 1/2-inch cubes.

3. Chop the tomatoes and reserve.

4. Combine salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and flour in a plastic zip-top bag. Add meat, zip and shake until cubes are well coated with flour mixture.

5. Pour about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan. Brown the meat in small batches over medium heat, transferring each batch to the slow cooker.

6. Add beef broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sherry to skillet. Bring to a boil and pour over the steak.

7. Stir the green beans and diced tomatoes into the meat mixture with a rubber spatula.

8. Cover and place pot on high. Cook for 1 hour.

9. Turn the pot dial to low and cook 3 more hours.

10. Put the cornstarch in a small bowl. Beat in cold water until the mixture is a fine paste. Drizzle over the stew and cook a few more minutes, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the stew has thickened. Add more cornstarch paste if needed. Enjoy!