Cubed Steak with Peppers and Olives Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to cook cube steak so it's tender? ›

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.

Here's why: A steak that marinates in an acidic or enzymatic liquid too long, such as citrus juice or cola, becomes tough or mushy. But the acid in milk is so mild that you can soak beef in it long enough to tenderize it effectively, without damaging the proteins on the surface.

What Makes Cube Steak Tough and Chewy in the First Place? Cube steak, also known as minute steak or Swiss steak, is a cut of beef usually taken from the top round or top sirloin. These cow parts are well-known because of their high collagen and connective tissue content, which can make the meat tough and chewy.

The best side dishes to serve with cube steak are mashed potatoes, green beans, french fries, blooming onion, cornbread, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, roasted vegetables, baked beans, garlic bread, and rice pilaf.

Salting. Most cuts of steak benefit from being salted up to an hour in advance of cooking, but especially tougher cuts. In addition to seasoning the steaks, salt helps break down proteins and make the meat more tender.

Simply season milk with nonacidic ingredients, preparing enough marinade to completely submerge the 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.

No need to rinse it before cooking if you're not adding any batter or breading to the surface. Keep the temperature relatively low and cook the meat slowly, setting aside 1.5 to 2 hours for the entire process. Rushing the cube steak with higher heat will only toughen it.

Check that the internal temperature has reached 145 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it's thoroughly cooked. Once you've done that, your steak is good to go. Consider serving it with hearty vegetables to round out your meal.

Cube steak begs to be smothered, which is a form of braising. Start by tenderizing the steaks by pounding them with a meat hammer. You don't have to go crazy and make them super thin, just whack them all over to break up some of the connective tissue.

How to keep cube steak from falling apart? ›

Cooking Cube steak in the crockpot with plenty of flavorful liquid turns out a tender and juicy cut of beef. As long as you don't leave the meat cooking all day long, you won't have to worry about it getting too soft and falling apart.

Like a marinade, however, you will get best results by soaking the steaks for four hours or overnight. Take the steaks out of the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature in the milk mixture. Allowing the steaks to warm up allows the milk to penetrate the meat more, which further tenderizes your steak.

Cube steak is a budget-friendly cut of meat and has the added plus of already being tenderized. This ingredient can be a time saver on a busy night — country-fried steaks, ground beef patties, slow-cooker recipes and burgers.

Also known as minute steak, cube steak is an inexpensive, flavorful cut of beef that's pre-tenderized by a process of pounding and cutting. It comes from the top or bottom round, a tough portion near the rump of the cow usually used as stew meat.

Yes, here are some additional tips for achieving tender beef cubes: – Brown the beef cubes before cooking to enhance the flavor. – Add some acidic ingredients like tomatoes, wine, or lemon juice to help break down the connective tissues. – Use low and slow cooking methods to allow the beef to become tender gradually.

The Aging. Most fine restaurants age their beef to intensify the flavor and improve the tenderness of the cut. Aging is done by letting the meat sit (in very controlled conditions) for several days or weeks.

It comes from the top or bottom round, a tough portion near the rump of the cow usually used as stew meat. But cube steak has been pounded with a textured mallet or tenderized mechanically, a process that breaks down the muscle fibers, making it tender enough to pan-fry on the stove.