These Grilled Skirt Steak Gyros employ Greek yogurt, while this Grilled Korean-Style Skirt Steak calls for cola as its main source of acid. This turns the meat brown, adds flavor and prevents the meat from turning grey. Well, it happens to be made from cube steak. Combine flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Next, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Cube steaks are an inexpensive cut of beef which makes them a great choice if youre living on a budgetand who isnt! I hope you found something to share with your family. This cooking process is called braising. Set them on a plate and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks. Cube steak is sometimes called cubed steak, or swiss steak. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, spices, and salt. You made my day! This can be done in as little as a few minutes. Although ribeye is the most popular cut of beef, according to the Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association, cube steak makes the top-10 list of favorite beef cuts, coming in at number 10. Cube steak is mechanically tenderized by the butcher which leaves behind lots of small holes. Dont use regular table salt to tenderize a steak. Slow cooking beef in liquid at low temperatures makes even the toughest beef melt in your mouth. . STEP 2: Sprinkle meat with a little bit of all-purpose flour and a dash of salt and pepper. Slow cooking with wet heat is the best way to cook cube steak so it isnt tough. Use your imagination, recipes are just guides! Each method tenderizes beef in a different way which is why theyre so effective when used together. We bought some cube steak at our local Kroger. Baking soda causes the steaks pH level to increase while neutralizing acid found in the meat. When all the meat is seared, put it into a Dutch oven and add 1/2 to 1 cup water of beef broth along with your other ingredients, vegetables and spices. As pH levels rise toward the outside of the meat, proteins on the inside loosen their bonds. My favorite recipe using cube steak is my Crock Pot Cube Steak in Gravy! First, season the steak with salt, pepper, and any other spices you like. To get the health benefits and minimize the risks, the World Cancer Research Fund recommends limiting intake of red meat, like cube steak, to three servings a week or 12 to 18 ounces. Simply place the meat in between pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it prior to cooking. It is best to heat it in short increments and test the steak after each one. Start by browning the meat on all sides over high heat in your Dutch oven or a cast iron skillet. Tenderizing mallets are typically wooden or metal, and the heads of the mallets have many points on the ends of them. How To Tenderize Cube Steak For Frying? Get all the latest recipes straight to your inbox! Let me show you step by step how to do it! Properly Preparing Tender Cube Steaks. STEP 4: Flip the meat over and repeat steps 1-3 on the other side. Muscle is made up of long strings of connective tissue called fibers. 2. The trick to making perfect cube steak is cooking it low and slow so that it has time to break down. Pan-frying - this is probably the most common cooking technique, such as when making chicken fried steak. How to tenderize cube steak without a mallet STEP 1: Lay meat on a cutting board. And given that dry meat is harder, protecting the juices will produce a more tender steak. Pound the steak on both sides hard enough to create dimples in the meat. This is the only recipe that delivered butter soft ( and tasty ) cube steaks . The dish is served with fresh thyme. 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. Each method of tenderizing beef works a little differently and some methods can be combined for even more tender beef. Its easy to over salt a steak thats already been tenderized in salt. Slice across the top of the steak in every possible direction, breaking up the meat as much as possible. In this Oven Steak recipe, strip steaks are sprinkled with salt and pepper on both sides 30 minutes prior to cooking. Slow cooking in the oven generally works best, but a stovetop can also work as long as you keep the heat low and steady. Always slice beef against the grain. This may be difficult to see, as most cube steaks are tenderized in this fashion at the supermarket before they are packaged for sale. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the water, then whisk in remaining ingredients. Cook your steak for two to three minutes and then flip and cook for an additional two to three minutes or until your . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. . Once it is hot, place the cube steaks in the pan. Repeat with the remaining steak. There are several cuts of steak with lots of connective tissue that benefit from tenderizing. Pounding the meat enhances the tenderizing effects of a marinade or stew stew by opening up the beefs muscle fibers. In a shallow dish or pie plate, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, fine sea salt and black pepper. 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Heat a heavy-bottom pan, like a cast-iron skillet, over medium-high heat. By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen. This is definitely a recipe that grandmas used to make! Season each side of the steak before placing it on the rack. You can call them whatever you like! In fact, we have an appointment to deliver a couple finished steers to the butcher next week. Minute steaks were quickly cooked for sandwiches. When you publish a cookbook, or raise cattle on a farm, how about then you return to give your opinion? Repeatedly pound the steak on both sides. A stew uses enough liquid to completely cover the meat and vegetables in the pot. Instructions. Place the cube steaks in a single layer in the air fryer, working in batches if necessary, and cook until done. Or course you can also use it to make Chicken Fried Steak too or sandwiches too! The Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association recommends that you prepare your tender cube steak in the skillet. This makes it easier to break down and chew. Simmer over a low heat while you fry the steaks. These holes allow marinade to penetrate deeper into the meat which helps soften it on the inside. Check that the internal temperature has reached 145 degrees Fahrenheit to be sure that it has been thoroughly cooked. Try wine, beer, broth or water. Heat this mixture until the onion becomes translucent. Use a spiked meat mallet to pound the beef in especially tough areas or anywhere missed by the butcher. 2. Follow these steps and youll never dry it out. Braising is a cooking technique that involves covering your meat with a liquid and slow cooking it until tender. Learn how your comment data is processed. This tenderizing process is how cube steak got its name. Once the slow cooker finishes cooking it, top it off with some delicious gravy to take your dish to the next level. Follow up with a marinade, enzymes, salt baking soda. Simply rub the meat with kosher salt or sea salt to break down these cells and enhance the flavor and texture of the steak. Bottom line is it doesnt matter who heard of them or who hasnt. Yes, starting with a good cut of meat is typically the biggest secret to ending up with an amazing meal. Allow the meat to rest for at least 15 minutes, and wash the baking soda off before you cook the meat. When you find a tough section pound it with your mallet. If you have a slow cooker, you don't even need to slave over the stove all day to make your tender cube steak. Be careful not to overheat your cube steak. The longer a steak spends over the heat, the drier it gets. On a dish, combine the flour, paprika, and seasoning. Lightly pound the cut of steak until it is your desired thickness. Pounding meat with a mallet breaks up tough muscle fibers and creates small dimples on the surface. This makes it even more tender. STEP 1: Lay meat on a cutting board. You might have heard of them referred to as minute steaks which is actually a Canadian term for cubed steaks. Marinate the cube steak in baking soda. Pounding steak with a spiked mallet not only tenderizes the beef but also creates small dimples on the surface. Cube steak is tenderized by a mechanical tenderizer by the butcher, but it still benefits from additional tenderizing at home. Flip the steaks over to the other side and pour the reserved marinade over the steaks. Pork Butt vs. Pork Shoulder: Whats the Difference? Add just enough water to cover the beef in a narrow bowl or pan, and soak the meat for 15 minutes. And since dry meat is tougher, preserving the juices will produce a more tender steak. Turn the meat over every 2 to 4 hours to keep it drenched in marinade. While this may take a tad longer, the moisture savings may be worth it. Then, place the cubes in a saute pan with a little bit of water. Im going to try this tenderizing method and see if it helps. Once youre done pounding, soak the meat in a marinade or use enzymes, salt or baking soda to further tenderize the meat. Salt: Salting your steak is a simple tenderization method that breaks down the protein cells in the meat. . Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the meat. Maybe you could add a little water to the bottom of the pot? Try to select the freshest steak you can with some amount marbling. Then season and sear the meat and start slow cooking. Add water and stir to combine everything. STEP 4: Flip the meat over and repeat steps 1-3 on the other side. Tougher cuts of steak with a lot of connective tissue benefit from tenderizing to help break down the fibers and make the meat easier to cook, cut and eat. You can buy powdered meat tenderizer at the grocery store. . The purpose of searing is to brown the outside of the beef, not to cook the inside. How do you tenderize cube steak for frying? Place your steak in a zip lock bag, or cover your tenderizing hammer in plastic wrap to avoid covering it in raw meat. Juicy results every time. What is mutton and how is it different from lamb? Now it is time to turn your attention to making the gravy. Heat a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. Steaks are actually muscles cut from a cow. But pounding is a quick and easy way to tenderize a steak. Using a meat mallet (or kitchen mallet) to pound steaks helps soften and tenderize the meat. Add in your seasonings, veggies, onions, spices, potatoes, etc. I have never heard them called minute steak. Cooking entrecote or steak. Dredge cubed steaks in flour mixture. I guess the term minute steaks really isnt that popular! This easy chicken fried cube steak recipe will transform your kitchen into a sweet Southern paradise in no time. STEP 3: Using a big knife, pound each piece of steak to a thin . Just use the cutting edge and pound, pound, pound. 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