Round Steak in Onion Gravy

Makes 4 servings

This is truly southern comfort food-hearty, delicious, and good for you. In this recipe the sweeter the onions, the better the dish. The best onions to use are Vidalia, Walla-Walla, or Maui-Maui.

1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas

Seasoning mix
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 pounds top round steak, about 1/2 inch thick, all visible fat removed
7 cups defatted beef stock, in all
3 medium onions, peeled and cut into julienne slices, in all
4 cups cooked long-grain white rice

Day 1: Add enough water to the black-eyed peas to cover them by 3 or 4 inches, and soak overnight in the refrigerator. As the peas absorb the water, they will more than double in volume.

Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Add the vinegar and mix to form a paste.

Cut the steak into 4 equal pieces. Rub 3 tablespoons of the paste on both sides of each piece of meat. Refrigerate the seasoned steaks in a covered container overnight, and store the remaining paste in a covered container.

Day 2: Drain the black-eyed peas and set aside.

Preheat a heavy 5-quart pot, preferably nonstick, over high heat to 350 degrees, about 4 minutes.

Brown each steak on both sides, about 1 minute per side; do this in two batches so the steaks don't overlap in the pot. Remove the steaks and set them aside.

Add 2 cups of the stock to the pot and scrape to clear all the browned bits. Add 3/4 cup of the onions, soaked, drained peas, and the remaining seasoning paste, and cook 15 minutes. Transfer all the ingredients from the pot to a blender or food processor, add 1 cup stock, and puree until smooth. Pour this pureed mixture back into the pot, and add 3 cups of stock, the remaining onions and peas, and the steaks and their accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 40 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup stock and simmer until the peas are tender and the liquid is thick and starts to look creamy, about 20 minutes. Some peas have more starch than others, so if the liquid in this dish seems too thick, add a little more stock. Serve over the rice.