Cube Steaks with Mushroom Gravy - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to tenderize cube steak? ›

Tenderize Cube Steak With a Mallet

This is one of the most popular and traditional ways of tenderizing meat. Using a meat mallet, pound the cube steak evenly to break down the tough fibers and connective tissues. This process also conveniently thins the meat, allowing it to cook more quickly and evenly.

The best way to cook cube steak for tenderness is slowly and evenly, so a slow cooker can do the trick when you have ample time to spare. However, braising, pan-frying, and sauteing also work. Just be sure to cook with enough liquid to keep the steak moist.

Cook the cube steak in oil for about 1 or 2 minutes on each side. After you've browned the meat: Move it into the slow cooker. Let it cook on low for 6 to 8 hours to end up with perfectly tender cube steak.

You can soak the cube steak in milk for overnight or a few hours in order to soften it and add juiciness. No need to rinse it before cooking if you're not adding any batter or breading to the surface.

#1 – Season the milk, buttermilk, or plain yogurt with nonacidic ingredients such as spices, herbs, salt, and garlic. Be sure to prep enough marinade to submerge the entire steak. #2 – Place the steak and seasoned milk in a resealable plastic bag or covered container, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours.

Place the cube steaks in the milk and turn them to coat them in the mixture. The soaking time depends according to how tough the steaks are and how tender you would like them to be. Like a marinade, however, you will get best results by soaking the steaks for four hours or overnight.

To cook cube steak in a skillet, rinse the steak with cool water and pat it dry with paper towels, then sprinkle each side of the steak with salt and pepper. Dip the steak in a bowl with beaten eggs, then dredge it in a mixture of flour, spices, and salt so that it's coated well on both sides.

Cube steak is also famously breaded or battered and pan-fried for the comfort-food favorites chicken-fried steak or country-fried steak. Saucy accompaniments like brown or white gravy, mushrooms and caramelized onions are traditionally paired with cube steak to complement its firm texture.

Cube steak is a budget-friendly meat item that delivers on flavor for recipes. The meat has been pre-tenderized which makes it a great choice for a get-dinner-on-the-table meal. You want to be careful to cook the cube steak correctly to keep the tenderized character and not have it become unpleasantly tough in texture.

This darkening is due to oxidation, the chemical changes in myoglobin due to the oxygen content. This is a normal change during refrigerator storage. Beef that has turned brown during extended storage may be spoiled, have an off-odor, and be tacky to the touch and should not be used.

What is the best liquid to tenderize meat? ›

Cover and place the meat and milk marinade in the refrigerator between 4 to 12 hours—whatever you deem as the perfect wait—before rinsing and patting the meat dry.

Ever bite into a steak and feel like you just chomped on a plate of steel? Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

You can velvet meat and make it melt-in-your-mouth tender by quickly tossing chunks of beef or chicken in about ¾ tsp of baking soda for about 15 minutes before your next stir fry, then rinse and pat the meat dry before putting in the pan.

The key to tender beef cubes is letting them cook and simmer on the stove for over an hour. On the other hand, if you want to take it one step further, you can always let it cook inside the slow cooker. So, if you choose this method, you must leave the beef for six to eight hours.

Marinate with Acid

Not only does a tenderizing steak marinade imbue aromatic flavour, but the acidic ingredients in it also denature connective proteins in the meat. Regular or apple cider vinegar, wine or beer, lemon or lime juice, buttermilk or yogurt contain tenderizing acids.