Recipe: Glenn's Pepper Steak

Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.  This is my third attempt at this recipe and I am now satisfied with it. It is a family favorite known as "Goop", thus this is Goop 3.

Serves 6.

Ingredients 

1 pound top round steak or London Broil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces button mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 bell pepper
4 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
28-ounce can whole tomatoes
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Table salt and black pepper

Note: May 2020, I used diced instead of whole canned tomatoes, I now think this is a better choice.

Instructions

1. Cut the steak in half horizontally, for example converting a 1½-inch thick steak into two ¾-inch steaks.
2. Slice the steak across the grain into thin strips, ⅛- to ¼-inch thick.
3. Clean the mushrooms and cut them each into thin slices.
4. Remove the stem and ribs from the bell pepper and cut it into thin strips.
5. Clean the celery and cut it into ½-inch pieces.
6. Peel the onion, cut it in half pole-to-pole, and cut each half crosswise into ¼-inch slices
7. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
8. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.
9. Add half of the beef and cook, with stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes.
10. Remove the browned beef, add the uncooked beef, and cook, with stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. If necessary to prevent burning, add additional vegetable oil.
11. Reduce the heat to medium and add all of the browned beef, the mushrooms, onion, celery, and bell pepper.
12. Cook with  frequent stirring until the onion starts to soften, about 10 minutes.
13. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
14. Add the remaining ingredients, including the juice from the tomatoes.
15. (If you're serving this over steamed white rice, start the rice now.)
16. Simmer with occasional stirring, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables are heated through, about 20 minutes.
17. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
18. Serve over steamed rice.

Cut the steak in half horizontally.

Then cut across the grain creating long, thin slices.

Prepare vegetables: bell pepper, celery, onion, garlic, and mushrooms.

Measure the seasonings.

In two batches, brown seasoned beef strips in vegetable oil.

Add the vegetables, stir, and cook until the onion starts to soften.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the vegetables are heated through, about 20 minutes.