Baked or Swiss, That is the Question

Okay, so it's not one of the pressing questions of life, like "what came first, the chicken or the egg?" but I certainly got an education upon looking for the answer. When I was growing up, my Dad made Swiss steak and it's the only version of it I've ever known. Well, when I decided I was going to try and I searched the internet for a recipe (since Dad's was a little of this, a little of that, and all in his head) I discovered what Dad had been making all those years was "technically" baked steak. Huh???? I had no idea. Almost every recipe I found for Swiss steak included some sort of tomato product--and that was NO where near what I was looking for. Next step? Add the word "baked" and see what came up. While the final recipe I decided on isn't identical to what Dad used to do, it's the closest I could find and the addition of mushrooms is great b/c we love them! I found the answer to this troubling question (lol) at ehow.com, so the next time you have one of life's nagging questions on your mind--maybe you can turn there too!

Baked Steak

1 large round steak, cut into portions and tenderized
2 c. flour
garlic powder
onion powder
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
sliced onions and mushrooms (optional)- I am omitting the onions

Place the flour in a large bowl and add dashes of seasonings. In a large skillet over medium heat, place a few TBS vegetable oil and heat through. Dip each steak portion in flour, making sure to evenly coat each side and place in hot oil. Let brown for a minute, flip, and then transfer to crock pot or oven safe dish. After all steaks are browned, add about a 1/2 cup of vegetable oil to skillet, turn down to low, and stir up the bits of browned flour and steak drippings. Add a little of the flour mixture at a time, stirring frequently, until you have a nice brown gravy. Pour over steak. Top w/ onions and mushrooms. Cook in crock pot on low for 6 hours, or in oven, covered @ 275º for 2-3 hours.