We raise our own beef. Allowing the steaks to warm up allows the milk to penetrate the meat more, which further tenderizes your steak. Cook cube steaks for 4-5 minutes on each side on medium-high heat until cooked through. 4. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan when it is hot, evenly coating the bottom. This shortens muscle fibers, making the meat easier to break down and chew. Theyre generally made from tougher cuts of meat that need tenderizing. Thank you! Whisk together 2 eggs and the can of evaporated milk in a bowl. With mashed potatoes. If its open steam can release which dries out the meat. Then, coat it lightly with a flour mixture or bread crumbs. The minute steaks were thin slices and not cubed! Learn to cook steakhouse-quality steaks in your home oven. I hope you found something to share with your family. Thanks for stopping by! Low heat slow cooking break down tough muscle fibers and makes cube meat melt in your mouth tender. Made from various tough cuts of beef, cube steak is processed in a way that helps create a more tender piece of meat. Ive always called them cube steak, or cubed steak. Theyre less expensive than prime cuts of meat because they dont have a great ration of marbling and cant be thrown on the grill like some cuts. If you have a slow cooker, you don't even need to slave over the stove all day to make your tender cube steak. Use plenty of oil when cooking the cubes of steak. One way to make tougher meats tender starts with your knife and fork (or on your cutting board). UPKOCH Metal Meat Tenderizer Cuber Machine Tool for Tenderizing BBQ Chicken Steak Fish and Pork. Cube Steak Recipe - The Cozy Cook . If you cook them right they are delicious though! Cube steak is mechanically tenderized by the butcher before you buy it. Carefully watch your steak and flip it every minute until it is to your liking. You can also take the liquid from the pan and make gravy for mashed potatoes if youd like. Then soak the meat in a marinade or use salt, enzymes or baking soda to further tenderize the meat. Now, I have heard and have cooked cubed steaks. And since dry meat is tougher, preserving the juices will produce a more tender steak. 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. While your cast-iron skillet is heating, season the cube steaks with salt and pepper. Cut it into thin strips, let it completely thaw, and use it instead of round steak in my Sweet and Spicy Beef recipe. Repeat process with remaining steaks. Instructions. Here, we break down the process of tenderizing, the cuts of steak that benefit most and all the different ways to tenderize steak, including how to wield a meat mallet. To properly tenderize a steak, lay the steak out on a plate and cover each side with approximately 1 teaspoon of kosher/sea salt before cooking. The best way to tenderize cube steak is with a spiked mallet, an acid based marinade or by slow braising the meat. Ill brainstorm and see what I can come up with! You want to whack the meat hard enough to leave indentions about 1/8 deep. The term Cube Steak refers to steak thats been pre-tenderized by the butcher and not a specific cut of beef. However pounding is a fast and simple way to tenderize a steak. While this cut of meat comes packaged already tenderized, tenderizing it more helps bring out more flavor and softness in a meal. Always slice beef against the grain. After the steak is done cooking, let it rest for three to five minutes before cutting into it. Sear for 3 minutes without moving the steak (to form a crust). Pat them dry with paper towels. Salt: Salting your steak is a simple tenderization method that breaks down the protein cells in the meat. Pounding the meat enhances the tenderizing effects of a marinade or stew stew by opening up the beefs muscle fibers. Unfortunately, these areas tend to be smaller which is why an entire cow only provides a few prime steaks. Then melt some butter in the skillet using . If there's not enough water, the meat will become dry. Then you can choose to put it in the refrigerator if you plan to eat it in the next few days, or you can put it in the freezer if you think you might not get to it for a bit longer. You only need a small amount of baking soda, as little as a 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g). You can also tenderize cube steak with salt, baking soda and enzymes which well go over later in the article. Usually theyll flatten out and be almost as big around as before you cut it. The soaking time depends according to how tough the steaks are and how tender you would like them to be. The meat is generally cut from tough and lean cuts of beef like skirt, flank, chuck or round roasts. The Difference Between A Fuse Box & Electrical Panel, What I Wish I Knew Before Building My First Home, How To Install A Welded Wire Fence Like A Pro, How To Restore Your Cast Iron Grill Grates. Of course, if you have a meat mallet it will work great for tenderizing cubed steaks. In this Oven Steak recipe, strip steaks are sprinkled with salt and pepper on both sides 30 minutes prior to cooking. Ive been eating this cut of meat my whole life and have always referred to them as cubed steak. A stew is a little different than braising because it uses more liquid. Theyre faster than a marinade but produce a similar effect. Slow braising cube steak can produce beef so tender it literally falls apart. Cook steaks in hot oil until brown, 3-4 minutes per side. First, season the meat with salt and pepper. Then season and sear the meat and start slow cooking. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spread the steak bites out in . 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Estimating 1 teaspoon per pound of meat, cover the meat in baking soda, working into the meat with your hands. This makes the meat more tender. Im not sure how it would work to make them in the pressure cooker because there might not be enough liquid to make it build enough pressure to seal. Feel free to experiment with seasonings. And given that dry meat is harder, protecting the juices will produce a more tender steak. Add 1/2 cup of water or beef broth to the pan along with your other ingredients, vegetables and spices. What is Cube Steak? 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. STEP 4: Flip the meat over and repeat steps 1-3 on the other side. Pounding a cube steak with a spiked meat tenderizer break up tough connective tissue and muscle fibers which softens the beef. Are there any tips for finding GOOD cube steaks, by sight, at a grocery store??? Slow cooking applications include braising, barbecuing and sous vide (cooking proteins in a vacuum sealed bag immersed in warm water). Cube steak is mechanically tenderized by the butcher which leaves behind lots of small holes. STEP 3: Using a big knife, pound each piece of steak to a thin . Heat until golden brown for 3-4 minutes on each side. It doesnt matter what theyre called, theyre still the same thing! Before you can start cooking Omaha Steaks' Chicken Fried Steak, you need to prepare the steaks. Cube steaks are an inexpensive cut of beef which makes them a great choice if youre living on a budgetand who isnt! If you dont have a meat mallet, you can also use a heavy kitchen tool such as a skillet, saucepan or rolling pin. Close up. Sear cube steak in small batches on all sides. This increases the price of the meat. In a medium sized bowl, stir together flour and seasonings. Have you ever seen a cook pound steak with a mallet and wondered why theyre doing it? Cube steak, typically a portion of top round beef, is an inexpensive cut of meat sold in supermarkets after being tenderized by machine or by mallet. How to Cook Cube Steak. If you leave my house hungryits your own fault! Turn budget cuts into steakhouse-worthy mains. Apply moderate pressure and make four to six rolls over the steak. Remove to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet, and tent loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while you finish the rest. Your email address will not be published. Marinades and slow braising work especially well on cube steak because it has holes in it from the mechanical tenderizer. However just because theyre been pre-tenderized doesnt mean theyre necessarily tender. Who cares what its called! Pro tip: Cuts that run along the back tend to be the most tender and expensive. Dredge each steak first in the flour, then in the batter, and again in the flour. Use a roasting pan with a lid or a Dutch oven. Or course you can also use it to make Chicken Fried Steak too or sandwiches too! Rub seasoning mix on each side of the steak, then rub with flour. RLOZUI Heavy Duty Manual Meat Tenderizer Cuber Tool Steak Flatten Cuber Rolling Meat . Braising is a cooking technique that involves covering your meat with a liquid and slow cooking it until tender. To cook cubed steak without drying it out, follow these tips: Season your steak with salt and pepper before cooking. Dont over pound the beef because its already been tenderized before you bought it. Both sides of the steak should be bathed in marinade. Really, a butcher can make cube steaks from any meat on the animal, but theyre typically made with tougher cuts of meat. The blunt force of a mallet helps break the bonds which hold muscle fibers together. How Much Space Do You Need For A Pool Table? Or, maybe you could try baking them in a BBQ sauce (maybe thats too close to gravy?) 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. Your meat should have a dark brown crust and a glaze over the bottom of the pan. There are more tough cuts on a cow than tender cuts so the price is much lower. Dredge cube steak in the flour mixture. You made my day! Im glad youre enjoying them! One of the best ways to tenderize cube steak is the cooking process called braising. Serve right away. After hours of being in the crockpot, it really breaks down and is extra tender! of flour or 1 tbsp. This meat comes from the hind end or shoulder of the cow. Lay on a plate to rest for 5 minutes. Right! Instructions. I also use cube steak in my Slow Cooker Beef Stew! Muscle is made up of long strings of connective tissue called fibers. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. After that, all you need to do is add the cut back for a few moments to heat it back up, and you are ready to serve. Cube steak can be made from a number of tough primal cuts of beef, including chuck, shoulder or bottom round. Once youre done tenderizing the meat, thoroughly rinse it off before adding spices and cooking. Even liquids like buttermilk and yogurt will help tenderize meat because of their acidic qualities. Im glad you enjoyed them! STEP 1: Lay meat on a cutting board. Cuts of meat that come from the shoulder or leg of the cow tend to be the toughest because they are worked the most, but they also tend to be more flavorful. Cube Steak is cut from tougher areas of the cow like flank, skirt and round roasts. Pounding also has the advantage of flattening the meat, which allows it to cook more quickly and more evenly. Place the meat in as soon as the oil gets hot. Work on especially tough areas or places missed by the tenderizing machine. Remove from pan and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Live in Kentucky for 55 years, always heard these called minute steaks. Like a marinade, however, you will get best results by soaking the steaks for four hours or overnight. Steaks are actually muscles cut from a cow. I grew up in CT and we always called them cubed steaks. Ill be trying this soon. Seasoning: I use seasoned salt (adjust to taste), garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika. Like a marinade, however, you will get best results by soaking the steaks for four hours or overnight. Sear 2 steaks at a time for about 3 minutes per side. On a dish, combine the flour, paprika, and seasoning. Flour: Season the flour with the same spices used to season the beef. Thank you for being so righteous and self-absorbed. Not just any marinade will tenderize a steak, it has to contain some acid like lemon, lime or kiwi. These holes allow enzymes to penetrate deeper into the meat which helps soften it even more. Once you have done that, your steak is good to go. All rights reserved. Searing beef turns in brown, locks in juices, develops flavor and prevents it from turning grey. Place 2 cups of flour in a shallow bowl. Check that the internal temperature has reached 145 degrees Fahrenheit to be sure that it has been thoroughly cooked. Each method of tenderizing beef works a little differently and some methods can be combined for even more tender beef. We went straight to the butcher to find out. Allow the meat to rest for at least 15 minutes, and wash the baking soda off before you cook the meat. Tenderize cube steaks for 10 to 15 minutes per side. Thanks for sharing! Lets start with the basics. The tenderizer leaves marks on both sides of the steak which makes them easy to spot. Thanks for your timely reply! When hot, add oil for 1 minute. For a simple cube steak recipe, season your meat with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large frying pan. 6. . 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. Like a marinade, however, you will get best results by soaking the steaks for four hours or overnight. You can also fry cube steak in an air fryer at 400 degrees F. How do you tenderize cube steak with milk? . Spray the broiler pan and the rack with nonstick cooking spray. Place the meat in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. We cant always control what kind of meat were buying. As pH levels rise toward the outside of the meat, proteins on the inside loosen their bonds. Welcome to my stinky farm life where my days are filled with chasing kids and cows! Adding gravy to your recipe can keep your steak tender, and its the ingredient that makes this dish truly comfort food.Here are your options: Consider using a slow cooker to gradually heat your cube steak in beef broth over many hours without having to worry about it.To follow this recipe, you will still need a skillet; however, you will not heat it as long as the recipe above. Place the beaten eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Im sorry to hear you havent been able to find good ones. Cook at a low simmer for 2 to 4 hours for a very tender meat stew. Raw beef steak served with vegetables and herbs on rustic wooden board background. STEP 2: Sprinkle meat with a little bit of all-purpose flour and a dash of salt and pepper. Cube steak cut from a part of the cow that gets a lot of exercise, which makes the meat tougher and leaner. 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. Reduce heat to medium and add onion to pan. The butcher will have run the cut through a tenderizer before purchasing. Bake it at that temperature for four to five hours. Next, rub some meat tenderizer on the meat. With a couple of commonly used kitchen and pantry items, tenderizing cube steak is a quick and easy process. 3. Transfer steaks to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.