When Beef and Pork Meet: A Creamy Farm-Style Skillet Dinner

Some of the best meals come from simple ingredients, cooked low and slow, with a little patience and a lot of flavor. This is one of those recipes.

When tender beef meets smoky bacon, something special happens. Add earthy mushrooms, tomatoes, and a hint of tarragon, and you’ve got a meal that feels both rustic and comforting… the kind of dinner that fills the kitchen with good smells and brings everyone to the table without being called twice.

This recipe is especially close to my heart because it uses beef top round, a hardworking cut that shines when treated right. Instead of rushing it, we let it slowly bake until fork-tender, soaking up all the rich flavors from the skillet. Finished with a creamy sauce, this dish turns humble ingredients into something truly satisfying.

Why This Recipe Works

• Slow baking makes all the difference. Top round isn’t fancy, but low heat and time transform it into tender, flavorful bites.

• Bacon pulls double duty. It adds flavor to the beef and becomes part of the final dish.

• Tarragon brings balance. Just a little adds a subtle herbal note that pairs beautifully with cream and mushrooms.

• One skillet, real food. No complicated steps, no hard-to-find ingredients. Just honest cooking.

This is the kind of recipe that feels right on a cold evening, after a long day of work, or when you want something hearty without standing over the stove all night.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 8 sff bacon strips

• 2 pounds sff beef top round steak

• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1 can (14½ oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

• ½ cup chopped onion

• 1–2 teaspoons dried tarragon

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons water

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• Minced fresh parsley (optional, for serving)

How to Make It

Start by cooking the bacon in a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet until crisp. Set it aside to drain, reserving about ¼ cup of the drippings. Those drippings are where the flavor begins.

Trim the beef and cut it into serving-size pieces. Brown it on both sides in the bacon drippings, just enough to build a little color. Once browned, top the meat with mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, crumbled bacon, and tarragon.

Cover the skillet and bake at 325°F until the beef is tender, which can be anywhere from 1¼ to 1¾ hours, basting a couple of times along the way.

When the beef is done, remove it from the skillet and keep it warm. Stir together the cornstarch and water, add it to the skillet juices, and bring everything to a boil until thickened. Reduce the heat, stir in the cream, and simmer until warmed through. That said, I’ll be honest… I just left everything in the skillet, no removing the beef, added the cornstarch and water, then stirred in the cream, and it turned out just fine and less hassle.

Return the beef to the skillet, turning it gently to coat in that rich, creamy sauce. Sprinkle with parsley if you like, and serve warm (Ignore this direction, according to how I did it above 😃).

Oven Swiss Steak

Serving Suggestions

This dish pairs beautifully with:

• Mashed or roasted potatoes

• Buttered egg noodles

• Steamed green beans or carrots

• A simple slice of sourdough to soak up the sauce

Leftovers reheat well and might even taste better the next day.

And if you’d like to grab one of the remaining pork shares to make this recipe, you can reserve yours with a deposit HERE for March 2026 processing before they’re filled.

— Tessa