Justin Wilson’s Seven Steaks Étouffée is a crowd-pleasing, no-fuss dinner main dish that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Justin Says:
What is Justin Wilson’s Seven Steaks Étouffée?
This classic Cajun one-pot dish is comfort food at its finest. Using flavorful 7-bone chuck steaks (or shoulder steaks), this dish builds deep, savory flavor as it simmers low and slow with alliums, bell peppers, mushrooms, and a splash of dry white wine.
Pimiento-stuffed olives and Louisiana hot sauce add a briny, spicy kick, while herbs like parsley and mint round out the dish with Southern charm. After a few hours on the stove, the meat becomes fall-apart tender, and the whole pot is ready to serve over hot rice, or “Étouffée,” in French.
Know Your Cut: What are “Seven” Steaks?
This recipe calls for “seven steaks,” but you don’t need SEVEN whole steaks to make this dish. Rather, you will need about four pounds of “Seven Steaks” (or 7-Bone Chuck Steaks), a cut from the beef chuck subprimal—specifically the shoulder area. Its name comes from the bone in the shape of the number “7" that runs through it.
Here’s what you should know about 7-bone steaks:
- Cut: From the front shoulder (chuck primal).
- Texture: Fairly tough, with a mix of meat, bone, and connective tissue.
- Flavor: Rich and beefy — excellent for slow-cooked dishes.
- Cooking method: Best when braised or slow-simmered. Not great for grilling unless tenderized or marinated heavily.
- Why people love it: It’s an affordable, flavorful cut that breaks down beautifully in soups, stews, or oven bakes, just like in Justin Wilson’s recipes.
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Justin Wilson’s Seven Steaks Étouffée
Justin Wilson’s Seven Steaks Étouffée is a slow-simmered Cajun beef stew made with 7-bone chuck steak. It’s perfect served over rice (or Étouffée) for a rich, comforting meal.
SERVINGS: 10
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 2 hours
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 3-4 7-Bone Chuck Steaks (or shoulder steaks, weighing about 4 lbs.)
- Salt, to taste
- 2 cups of chopped onions
- 2 cups of chopped mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped bell peppers
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- 1/2 cup of pimiento-stuffed olives, drained
- 2 Tablespoons of steak sauce
- 2 Tablespoons of dried parsley
- 1 Tablespoon of chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons of Louisiana hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of celery seed
- 1 teaspoon of dried mint
Cooking Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium to high heat. Brown the steaks on both sides. Season with salt, then add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
- Stir well, then reduce the fire to low and place the lid on the pot. Simmer for 2-3 hours.
- Serve over cooked rice.
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