There are many different cuts of meat out there, and we don’t know which one to get. We’re here to introduce you to one of the most straightforward steak cuts to work with, the cube steak. You already know about the more popular ones like ribeye, porterhouse, and filet mignon, but what is cube steak? Let’s dig in and talk about its qualities and how you can cook it.
What is Cube Steak?
If you are new to cooking and you are wondering, “what is cube steak and how it’s used?” read on, and you’ll know more. Cube steaks are steaks cut from the top round or top sirloin part of beef cuts. It is thinly sliced and then tenderized using a mallet or an electric meat tenderizer. The pattern created by the tenderization process looks like a cube hence the name cube steak.
Because of their thin slice, cube steaks are also called minute steaks because you can cook them in a minute. It is also used in cooking chicken fried steak. These are steaks fried like fried chicken.
Is Cube Steak Good?
Part of answering the question of “what is cube steak?” is if it is good. Don’t worry because it is still good! Steaks are full of beefy flavor, and the cube steak still got it. Since it is thinner than a normal steak, it cooks faster, so we need to think of things that can enhance the flavor in a short time. Marinating cube steaks is one of the good suggestions for this. You can still do the simple salt and pepper but make sure to massage it into the meat to make sure that it sticks to the meat.
Cube Steak Recipes
Because of its quick cook time, there are some things that you can’t do to a normal steak that you can do with cube steaks. What is cube steak cooking like? One of the things you can try is the chicken fried steak. Let’s look at how you can do this steak recipe.
Chicken Fried Steak Recipe
The ingredients you will need for this recipe are cube steaks, salt, two large eggs, half cup milk, two cups of flour, one and one-half teaspoons of garlic powder, half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder, and oil for frying. You can also cook the gravy for this recipe, but we’ll talk about that later.
The first thing you need to do is pound your steak. Even if it’s pounded already, let’s pound it to even it out. Some butcher does not pound the steak evenly. We want our cube steak to be at least one-fourth inch thick or less if you can still do it. The thinner the steak, the easier it will cook. If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can use your rolling pins or empty wine bottles. Be careful not to break your bottle.
After pounding the steaks, season them with salt on both sides. Now we can start breading the steaks. Prepare two wide dishes. On one dish, beat the eggs, then add the milk. On the other dish, mix the flour, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper powder.
Dip the steak into the flour mixture. Dip both sides. After the steak is fully covered with our flour mixture, shake it a bit to remove excess flour. The next step is to dip it on the egg wash. Dip both sides. After you do both sides, dip it again in the flour mixture. Make sure to cover the whole steak with our breading.
Cooking Process
Preheat a large frying pan and put enough oil to cover one-fourth inch so that our steak is almost covered when we fry it. Once the oil is hot enough, place the steak on the pan. You can check the oil if it is hot enough by dropping a little amount of flour on it. If it sizzles, then it is hot enough. Be careful, though. It might be too hot, and you might burn your steak accidentally. If the flour burns, lower your heat.
Cook the first side for two minutes or until the side becomes golden brown. When the sides turn golden brown, flip the steak. Cook for another two minutes. Then set aside while we cook our gravy. To make your steak stay crispy while working on your gravy, you can preheat an oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit after you seasoned your steak so that when you finish frying it, it is hot enough. Set up a wire rack in the oven, then place your steak on the rack.
Cooking the Gravy
The ingredients for the gravy are three tablespoons of pan drippings, three tablespoons of all-purpose flour, one-fourth cup of heavy cream, one and three-fourths cup of milk, and salt and pepper to taste. The first step is to drain the pan where you fried your steak until there are only three tablespoons of the oil you used. Add the all-purpose flour, then mix it well.
Around 4 or 5 minutes, when the mixture starts to turn brownish, add the milk and cream. Whisk while slowly adding the two. You can adjust the consistency by adjusting the milk. If you think it is too thick, add more milk or let it cook for more time if you think it is too thin. Finally, season with salt and pepper to fit your taste. Serve the steak alongside the gravy and your choice of a side dish, but mashed potato fits very well with this dish.
Conclusion
Steak meals don’t have to be too expensive, especially if you use steak cuts like a cube steak. Since we already answered your questions about “what is cube steak?” we hope it helped you somehow. Try doing the recipe we suggested and serve this to your friends and family. Learn more about steaks here!