Braised Cube Steak

Braised Cube Steak
Barbara P. Fernandez for The New York Times
Total Time
an hour
Rating
4(142)
Comments
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Through good times and bad, the cube steak has remained a wallflower among meat cuts. Old-fashioned and a little mysterious, it’s a steak without pretension, or maybe a hamburger with humble aspirations. —Kim Severson

Featured in: Turning to Cube Steak, and Back to Childhood

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • ¼cup vegetable oil
  • 2pounds cube steak, cut into 6 pieces
  • Salt
  • pepper
  • ½cup flour plus 1 tablespoon
  • 3large onions, sliced thinly
  • 2cups low-sodium chicken stock or water
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

424 calories; 22 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 763 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Put ½ cup flour on a plate, and coat each piece of meat. Shake off excess flour and add steak to pan, working in batches. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until browned, and remove to a platter.

  3. Step 3

    Add onions to skillet and cook about 3 minutes or until wilted. Stir to help loosen browned bits from bottom of pan. Lower heat, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour. Stir constantly, cooking for about 4 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Gradually add water or stock, continuing to stir to keep lumps at bay. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn heat to low and add steaks to pan. Simmer, partly covered, for 45 minutes. Remove to a platter and taste pan sauce, correcting for seasoning.

Tip
  • This dish can be served with white rice. Leftovers make an excellent sandwich.

Ratings

4 out of 5
142 user ratings
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Comments

More of a southern country staple for hungry guys when you make the sauce into a cream gravy. Saute some sliced mushrooms with the onions. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce with the milk or cream. Sprinkle a bit of paprika atop each serving. There will be no leftovers, I assure you.

People! How can you think this is Chicken Fried Steak when it is clearly BRAISED not FRIED?

If you must have an old-school reference this is similar to what used to be called "Swiss Steak" (which usually added chopped tomatoes).

The keys to tenderness are 1) don't submerge the steaks
and 2) turn the heat to LOW before adding the steaks back into the gravy for the final braise. Follow the recipe exactly and you'll succeed. It's not elegant but it is good.

I used red wine to deglaze the pan before adding more oil and sautéing the onions. Then added chicken broth to braise the steaks in. This made a very delicious sauce.

My mother used to make this, and I had forgotten how. Thanks so much for your recipe! It's just like hers and we loved it!!!

Doubled amount of cubed steak and pounded each piece. After browning, added the onions and deglazed for about five minutes then added mushrooms. Second deglaze after flour with about a cup of red wine and let it reduce a bit. Then added 3 cups of chicken broth and some garlic powder. Brought sauce to boil to thicken a bit then poured into a big pyrex baking pan. Added meat and covered with foil. Put in 325 oven for about 45-60 minutes. Very tender. Served with creamy mashed potatoes.

I happen to have some bacon fat left from cooking bacon yesterday. I used that instead of vegetable oil. I think it added a nice touch. I also whacked the cube steaks with my meat tenderizer hammer a few times. They were very tender and tasty. I simmered for 25 minutes instead of 40. That was plenty. Based on all the comments, this is evidently a very flexible recipe!

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Credits

Adapted from “Out of the Frying Pan,” by Gillian Clark, (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007)

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