However, if not cooked properly, it can be rather tough.Keep reading to learn all about cube steak and how to make it as tender as possible with simple recipes. Made from various tough cuts of beef, cube steak is processed in a way that helps create a more tender piece of meat. Make sure the lid stays on tight. Sprinkle both sides of each steak with the mixture. Its all about simply delicious food around here! Im glad youre enjoying them! This achieves a rich flavorful surface like the sear on a grill. What cut of meat is cube steak made of? Then put in the beef and cook with the lid on tight at around 300 F for about 2 4 hours. Once it is hot, place the cube steaks in the pan. I tried cooking it a couple different ways. Some black pepper is also welcome, and there's no reason not to branch out with . Cook at a low simmer for 2 to 4 hours for a very tender meat stew. Keep in mind that each of these meat tenderizing methods are done before you start braising or slow cooking the meat. The steaks really are buttery soft and so flavorful! Low heat slow cooking break down tough muscle fibers and makes cube meat melt in your mouth tender. Preparing the Steaks. You can also substitute the marinade liquid for a dry rub. Salt: Salting your steak is a simple tenderization method that breaks down the protein cells in the meat. Allow the steak to cook for 3 minutes on one side, then gently flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association, How to Cook Rib Eye Steaks on the Stove Top, Nutritional Information for New York Strip, Filet Mignon and Rib-Eye, 10 Steak Recipes That Any Carnivore Will Love, USDA: "Food Availability and Consumption", Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association: "Retail Meat Case: America's Favorite Beef Cuts", USDA FoodData Central: "Beef, Round, Bottom Round, Steak, Separable Lean and Fat, Trimmed to 0" Fat, Choice, Cooked, Braised", American Heart Association: "Saturated Fat", World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research: "Limit Red and Processed Meat", Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association: "Cubed Steak", Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association: "Country-Fried Steaks With Tomato Basil", FoodSafety.gov: "Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures Charts", USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: "Veal From Farm to Table". How to tenderize cube steak without a mallet STEP 1: Lay meat on a cutting board. Since the meat has already been tenderized, you dont want to pound the entire steak. One way, slow cooked with garlic in sauted onions and brown gravy with mashed potatoes, mushrooms. Place some rings of onion on top of steaks, then add chunks of potatoes, then a few more onions.Sprinkle potatoes and onions with a little more of the seasoning. Next, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Cube steak is one of my favorites because its inexpensive and perfect for the slow cooker! The chef beats a piece of meat with a metal hammer. Be careful not to overheat your cube steak. Serve your steak with roasted potatoes and carrots. I recommend marinating for 8 hours. Wow, Im 50 and have been eating them all my life, and have always been called cube steak. Once youre done pounding, soak the meat in a marinade or use enzymes, salt or baking soda to further tenderize the meat. In addition to seasoning the steaks, salt helps break down proteins and make the meat more tender. UPKOCH Metal Meat Tenderizer Cuber Machine Tool for Tenderizing BBQ Chicken Steak Fish and Pork. Never and I travel a bit. Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a frying pan to 350F and preheat the oven to 200F. So only keep them on for a few minutes. Mix flour, salt & pepper (I prefer fresh ground) in pie plate. All rights reserved. . Its also too fine which makes it hard to wash off later. This may be difficult to see, as most cube steaks are tenderized in this fashion at the supermarket before they are packaged for sale. Then sandwich them all out between two pieces of wax paper on the counter and pound them even thinner with the open end of an old glass cheerwine bottle. First, you will add olive oil to a skillet. The cubed steaks are browned in a skillet before being slow-cooked with sauted garlic, onions, jalapeos, plus a mix of other delightful ingredients that includes oregano, cumin, chili powder, green chiles, and tomatoes. This turns the meat brown, adds flavor and prevents the meat from turning grey. Start by browning the meat on all sides over high heat in your Dutch oven or a cast iron skillet. Pro Tip: When marinating with acids, use a non-reactive container like glass or Ziploc bags. Pour beef broth over all and also add the worcheshire sauce . When youre done marinading, you can either pat dry the meat with a paper towel or sear it wet. As with other marinades, this method works best with thinner cuts such as hanger or skirt steaks. Cube steak should be cooked to 120F in a cast iron skillet. I appreciated everything I learned from pitchforkfoodie. Then season and sear the meat and start slow cooking. These dimples allow liquid to penetrate deeper into the meat which makes it more tender. With 2 parents farming in GA, SC and FL, we bought a side of beef every year growing up in Philly with 5 kids and I loved cube steak. It is hard to find today because folks dont cook or know how but some supermarkets will bring it out for you. Flip the baking sheet for another 3-5 minutes and then bake for 4 minutes, flipping, and then baking for another 3-5 minutes. It's a great way of cooking bottom round steak and getting tender meat every time! Heres how to create a baking soda bath for your cube steak: Remember, a baking soda bath is a fast and easy way to tenderize tough cuts of beef. Lightly pound the cut of steak until it is your desired thickness. A metal bowl can react with the acids giving your steak a strange metallic flavor. Season the steaks with salt, pepper, and paprika. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the steaks on each side for 5-10 seconds to tenderize them. Cover the frying pan and cook the steaks for three to four minutes or until they reach approximately 130 degrees F. Cooking the deer meat to higher temperatures will dry the meat out and make it tough. Giving your tender cube steak plenty of room in the pan and not overcooking the meat is essential for preventing a chewy steak. Check Price on Amazon. For a simple cube steak recipe, season your meat with salt and pepper. Try making Slow Cooker Brisket, Slow Cooker Pot Roast or Texas BBQ Braised Beef Brisket, which also benefits from an overnight dry brine. Usually theyll flatten out and be almost as big around as before you cut it. One of the benefits of taking your own meat to the butcher is you get to tell them how you want the meat to be cut and wrapped. Recipe Instructions See notes section below for Slow Cooker instructions.Seasoning Prep: Combine the meat seasoning mix and set aside.Gravy Prep: Combine the cornstarch and cold water in a medium bowl and whisk until This will contain the meats juices as you hit it. Cube steaks are a little on the tougher side. But it still benefits from some additional tenderizing before you cook. Copy space. In a skillet, melt the butter and saut the onions for 1-2 minutes. Live in Kentucky for 55 years, always heard these called minute steaks. Crock Pot Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cube Steak & Gravy. Repeatedly pound the steak on both sides. Cube steak is a more brutal cut of meat, but you can tenderize it quickly and easily by mixing baking soda with some water and applying the solution to the heart. Sometimes I just need to cook some beef and steak is one of my favorites! Meat tenderizer contains a naturally derived enzyme powder. Lets start with the basics. Bless his heart! Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the steak bites are heated through. . Besides tenderizing the meat, velveting also helps form a coating that promotes even browning and helps the sauce to adhere to the meat. Welcome to my stinky farm life where my days are filled with chasing kids and cows! Repeat process with remaining steaks. Always sear (brown) the meat quickly before starting to braise. Dredge cube steaks in flour mixture, gently shaking off excess. If you plan on braising or cooking cube meat as a stew, always braise it first. Instructions. This will help keep the juices locked inside so the steak . Try slow cooking your steaks with wine, spices, herbs and vegetables for even more flavor. Combine all of the dry ingredients and place on a plate, mixing well to . In this Strip Steak with Spiced Salt recipe, a spiced salt mixture has plenty of time to penetrate NY strips while the grill heats up. If there's not enough water, the meat will become dry. Sear until the beef becomes brown on all sides. I also think restaurants use meat tenderizer before cooking and in my opinion theres no shame in that. If its open steam can release which dries out the meat. Learn to cook steakhouse-quality steaks in your home oven. I agree! My favorite recipe using cube steak is my Crock Pot Cube Steak in Gravy! NJ Businesses. Simply add some fruit to your marinadeabout 1 to 2 tablespoons per cup of marinadeand be sure not to let the meat marinade for more than 12 hours (the enzymes are so effective they can make meat mushy). You might have heard of them referred to as minute steaks which is actually a Canadian term for cubed steaks.. Add just enough water to cover the beef in a narrow bowl or pan, and soak the meat for 15 minutes. With this versatile cut of meat and the right recipe, you will cook a filling and delicious dinner of comfort food while staying within your budget. Muscles at the top of the animal, around the backbone and ribs, dont get much exercise so the meat is soft and tender with more marbling. Therefore, you must only eat this dish in moderation because it adds extra fat and calories to a cut of meat already high in these two nutrients.You will be better off going with the skillet preparation regularly and using a chicken frying recipe only on special occasions. Season each side of the steak before placing it on the rack. This cooking process is called braising. Cover the meat about halfway with water and bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes. This makes the meat easier to break up and chew. They will feel the love!! Minute steaks are usually rib eye meat, set up for cheesesteak. Cube steaks are an inexpensive cut of beef which makes them a great choice if youre living on a budgetand who isnt! Heat and time are essential when slow cooking. Pounding a cube steak with a spiked meat tenderizer break up tough connective tissue and muscle fibers which softens the beef. Check Price on Amazon. Use a granulated tenderizer. Another great way to cook cube steak is to thaw the meat just until you can cut it with a sharp knife. 3. The best way to tenderize cube steak before you start cooking is with a meat tenderizing mallet. Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network. I grew up in CT and we always called them cubed steaks. Another way to tenderize cube steak is by slicing it properly. Combine flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. 6. . Once you have done that, your steak is good to go. Remove the meat and deglaze the pan with liquid. Fry one steak at a time, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, just until golden brown. Pound the steak on both sides hard enough to create dimples in the meat. Cube Steaks: See notes above for more details. Remove cubed steak from the fridge. Make sure not to overcook the steak since it will become tough. Once the oil is hot, add the cubes and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Add liquid as needed. Cook steaks in hot oil until brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Try to select the freshest steak you can with some amount marbling. Apply it liberally by sprinkling it across the entire surface and underside of the cube steak. Cube steak should be seared before braising. per side. Enjoy. When its time to slice the meat, make sure to do it against the grain. But its very flavorful beef thats inexpensive, which makes it perfect for steak dishes like tacos, fajitas, sandwiches or a stew. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil.Fry steaks in batches until deeply golden, about 2 minutes per side.Transfer steaks to a plate. Repeat with the remaining steak. Im not sure how I made a big deal out of them. 1 day ago thecozycook.com Show details . Searing beef turns in brown, locks in juices, develops flavor and prevents it from turning grey. STEP 3: Pound each piece of steak with a large knife. Add in your seasonings, veggies, onions, spices, potatoes, etc. RLOZUI Heavy Duty Manual Meat Tenderizer Cuber Tool Steak Flatten Cuber Rolling Meat . Next, add about a 1/2 Cup of vegetable oil to a pan and turn on high heat. These Grilled Skirt Steak Gyros employ Greek yogurt, while this Grilled Korean-Style Skirt Steak calls for cola as its main source of acid. While this cut of meat comes packaged already tenderized, tenderizing it more helps bring out more flavor and softness in a meal. The cook in the kitchen in the restaurant. Use your imagination, recipes are just guides! Dont over pound cube steak because its already been mechanically tenderized by the butcher. Cube steak, also commonly known as minute steak for its short cooking time, offers both versatility and tasty flavor. Thats a pretty big generalization youre making. Really, a butcher can make cube steaks from any meat on the animal, but theyre typically made with tougher cuts of meat. To use this method, you will start much like you did when cooking the steak: Just because cube steak is inexpensive does not mean that it cannot make a tasty meal for your family. It is best to heat it in short increments and test the steak after each one. You only need a small amount of baking soda, as little as a 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g). Cook, stirring constantly until bubbling and beginning to turn a golden color, another . This can be done in as little as a minute. By: Amy on March 20, 2020 |Updated: March 5, 2021. For more simple to make steak recipes try this Garlic Butter Herb Steak Bites with Potatoes, Brown Sugar Garlic Flank Steak . Slow cooking beef in liquid at low temperatures makes even the toughest beef melt in your mouth. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Flour: Season the flour with the same spices used to season the beef. This makes the meat brown, prevents it from turning grey in color and develops a great flavor. (Add a splash more olive oil if needed and adjust heat up or down slightly as needed as the steaks cook.) Thanks for sharing! This is helpful for tenderizing tougher cuts of steak, such as flank, because cutting the meat severs the long fibers that make it tough to chew. Use a spiked meat mallet to pound the beef in especially tough areas or anywhere missed by the butcher. (For even more flavor, add crushed garlic to the salt.) STEP 4: Flip the meat over and repeat steps 1-3 on the other side. Sear the meat in a pan, pot, skillet or Dutch oven with a tablespoon of oil on medium-high heat. Alternatively, you can reheat steak bites in the oven. Theyre deliciousthe end of the story! Tips: For even more tender steaks, place them between two sheets of waxed paper and pound them with a meat mallet before you soak them. Cube Steak Recipe - The Cozy Cook . If you want to cook a cube steak so that it isnt tough, the secret is tenderizing it before you cook followed by braising or turning it into a stew. The eye round were my fave, good portions and no gristle streak. Gravy. Pound both sides of the meat until dimples appear. Carefully watch your steak and flip it every minute until it is to your liking. Apply moderate pressure and make four to six rolls over the steak. I hope you found something to share with your family. Cube steaks can also be made with beef from the chuck, or shoulder, portion of the cow. The process of low-and-slow cooking breaks down the connective tissue and releases collagen, resulting in supple, shreddable meat. Ingredients you need: Vegetable oil: For frying. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. The soaking time depends according to how tough the steaks are and how tender you would like them to be. HOW TO COOK TENDER FRIED CUBED STEAK INSTAGRAM @ SCOTTFAMILYTVCHECK OUT OTHER FRIED FOOD VIDEOShttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUKUS9FiAcapEBCrF2wlv42. 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When you slow cook steak, the collagen surrounding tough muscle fibers melts which breaks apart and loosens the muscle. Americans love meat.According to research, the only country in the world that eats more meat than America is Luxembourg. STEP 3: Pound each piece of steak with a large knife. Breading and frying help keep . Slow cook cube meat long enough and the meat will literally fall apart. Slow cooking in the oven generally works best, but a stovetop can also work as long as you keep the heat low and steady. This makes them tougher and harder to chew. Add butter to a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Let me show you how it works! Start checking your meat when you hit around 80% of the total recommended cooking time, and stop cooking as soon as it reaches the stage at which the meat is tender, but not falling apartso, if a recipe says to cook the stew for two and a half hours, start checking it around the two-hour mark. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side then remove to a baking dish. With mashed potatoes. Season as desired and add half a cup of water or beef broth to the pan. So most cubed steak recipes use certain techniques that help to lock in the moisture and keep them juicy and tender. Seasoning: I use seasoned salt (adjust to taste), garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika. When enzyme tenderizers are used too long the steak can get mushy on the outside. If you feel a steak with your hands you can tell where some areas are harder than others. Dont go over 24 hours or it can become mushy. Tenderizing mallets are typically wooden or metal, and the heads of the mallets have many points on the ends of them. Close up. For best cooking results ensure it is evenly pounded out. STEP 4: Flip the meat over and repeat steps 1-3 on the other side. 4. Cooking them with gravy helps tenderize them and add flavor. When hot, add oil for 1 minute. In fact, we have an appointment to deliver a couple finished steers to the butcher next week. Dont be worried, this is normal and harmless. Breaking them up makes meat more tender. Start by tenderizing your cube steaks until you get them to about 1/2 thick. Cook each steak for two or three minutes on each side at medium-high heat, making the total time anywhere between 4 to six minutes. The meat needs time for the collagen to melt which produces extremely tender beef. There are several cuts of steak with lots of connective tissue that benefit from tenderizing. Always slice meat against the grain. Slow braising cube steak can produce beef so tender it literally falls apart. Table salt usually results in a weird tasting over salted steak. Place the cube steaks in the milk and turn them to coat them in the mixture. If you dont sear meat before braising, it can turn an unattractive grey color. STEP 3: Pound each piece of steak with a large knife. The spiky points create indentations in the meat that resemble small cubes, which is why youll sometimes see small, thin cuts of beef (typically top round or sirloin) labelled as cube steak at the grocery store. I am from Indiana and we always called them minute steaks. The secret to tenderizing your cube steak is to soak it in a mixture made from milk and eggs. Marinate the cube steak in baking soda. Juicy results every time. If you braise stew meat in the oven, preheat to 300 degrees. Whisk together 2 eggs and the can of evaporated milk in a bowl.