Braised Cube Steak
Updated July 13, 2015
Barbara P. Fernandez for The New York Times
- Total Time
- an hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 pounds cube steak, cut into 6 pieces
Salt
pepper
½ cup flour plus 1 tablespoon
3 large onions, sliced thinly
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or water
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
19 grams carbs; 107 milligrams cholesterol; 440 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 23 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 763 milligrams sodium; 37 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
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
- Step 1
Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
This dish can be served with white rice. Leftovers make an excellent sandwich.
Private Notes
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.
Second the addition of red wine. I didn't cook it for the full 45 min at the end, that seemed like it would result in something chewier than I wanted. I added Dijon, tomato paste, and thyme to this as well.
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.