Pour fresh buttermilk over raw beef round steak, paired with 3 simple items, into slow cooker for a hearty rustic feast that's the one everyone asks for in my house

This slow cooker buttermilk beef is the kind of plain, honest food I grew up with on Midwestern farm tables. It starts exactly the way my mother did it: raw beef round steak laid in the crock, then fresh buttermilk poured right over the top, along with just three simple pantry items. The long, gentle cooking tenderizes that thrifty cut and turns it into a rustic, tangy, fork-tender roast with a gravy that tastes like Sunday supper at Grandma’s. It’s the one my family asks for over and over, especially on cold days when the house smells like it did back on the farm.

Serve this Amish-style buttermilk beef sliced or pulled into big, hearty chunks, spooning plenty of the creamy pan juices over the top. It’s especially good over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or thick slices of white bread for an old-fashioned open-faced sandwich. Add simple sides like buttered green beans, sweet corn, or coleslaw to round out the plate. A jar of pickles or pickled beets on the table fits the rustic spirit and cuts through the richness nicely.

Servings: 6

2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef round steak, about 1-inch thick

Lay the beef round steak flat in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. If the steak is large, you can cut it into 2 or 3 pieces so it fits in a single layer as much as possible.

Scatter the sliced onion evenly over and around the raw beef round steak in the slow cooker.

Sprinkle the kosher salt and black pepper evenly over the beef and onions.

Give the buttermilk a good shake, then slowly pour the fresh buttermilk over the raw beef round steak and onions in the slow cooker, making sure the meat is mostly covered. It’s fine if a little of the meat peeks out above the liquid.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef round steak is very tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork.

Once cooked, taste the juices and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt and pepper if needed. For serving, either slice the beef across the grain or gently pull it into large rustic chunks, returning it to the buttermilk gravy to stay moist until ready to eat.

Serve the beef hot, spooning plenty of the buttermilk-onion gravy over the top and passing extra juices at the table.

For a touch more savoriness while keeping the ingredient list short, you can rub the beef round steak with 1 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder before salting and peppering it, or tuck a bay leaf into the buttermilk as it cooks (remember to remove the bay leaf before serving). If you like a thicker gravy, ladle 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid into a small saucepan, whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch until smooth, simmer until thickened, then stir it back into the slow cooker. For a creamier finish, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold butter at the very end until melted. This recipe works with other lean, tough cuts like bottom round or top round if that’s what you have on hand. Food safety tips: Always keep the beef refrigerated until you’re ready to place it directly into the slow cooker; do not let it sit at room temperature for extended periods. Use fresh, unexpired buttermilk and keep it chilled until the moment you pour it over the meat. Make sure your slow cooker is set to LOW or HIGH as directed and avoid cooking on a “warm” setting from the start, as that may keep the beef in the temperature danger zone too long. The finished beef should reach at least 145°F, though it will typically go much higher and become tender with the long cooking time. Once the meal is over, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers, and reheat them to at least 165°F before serving again.