
Recipes
Swiss Steak with Polenta
By Mario Giuliani
Mario Giuliani’s mom did not make mashed potatoes. She made polenta. And still does. Giuliani went straight to the source – his mom – for the recipes featured here. In the family kitchen while he was growing up, Swiss steak – whether it’s Swiss is up for debate, but that’s what the Giulianis called it – was served with polenta (cooked cornmeal) and his mom always made it in a copper pot. Shopping for polenta was memorable, too. It meant a trip to Glorioso’s Italian Market on Brady Street. “Always getting that big old bag of polenta. Then inevitably, we’d wind up at Zaffiro’s afterward for pizza,” he says.
Mrs. Giuliani cooked every day except Friday. “That was fish fry day,” her son says. Although today he heads up a kitchen that serves Japanese Wagyu steaks and truffled mashed potatoes, his mom’s Swiss steak and polenta still strike a chord. “I think the polenta, in particular, with gravy is my number-one go-to,” he says.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Swiss Steak
1/2 onion, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds round steak, cut into 1-inch strips about a half-inch thick
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Polenta
1 1/2 cups polenta cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups water
Beets
2 pounds beets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Steak
In a skillet set to medium-high heat, cook the mushrooms and onions in butter for seven to 10 minutes and set them aside. Season the meat with salt and black pepper. Heat a dry cast-iron pan until hot. Brown the meat on all sides and add beef stock to cover it. Add the reserved mushrooms and onions. Simmer for one hour. Mix the cornstarch and water into the stock to thicken during the last 20 minutes.
Polenta
In a bowl, mix the polenta, salt and 1 cup of water together and set it aside. In a medium-sized copper pot, bring the 2 1/2 remaining cups of water to a boil. Add the polenta mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. It can splatter, so be careful. When the mixture becomes very thick, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Beets
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the beets in olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil, place them on a baking tray and bake for 1 1/2 hours. When the beets are cool enough to handle using gloves and a kitchen towel, scrub off the skins and cut the beets into the shape desired.
Assembly
Serve the steak with a generous spoonful of polenta and the roasted beets.
Bio
Since 2011, Carnevor executive chef Mario Giuliani has taken much pride in serving prestigious clientele, generating innovative cuisines and working with the finest chefs in Milwaukee. Giuliani has honed his skills in cooking and aging fine meats by using premium products, including domestic and international Wagyu beef and Mangalitsa pork.

Mario Giuliani
Carnevor
Mario Giuliani
Carnevor
Discover More!
Craving more delicious options to elevate your next gathering? Select from our Entrees below to discover new favorites and take your culinary experience to the next level.