Country Style Smothered Cube Steak (Printable)
Tender cube steak in rich onion gravy, a cozy Southern comfort food ready in one hour.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meat
01 - 4 cube steaks, about 1.5 lbs total
→ Seasoned Flour for Dredging
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
→ Gravy and Cooking
07 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
08 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2 cups beef broth
11 - ½ cup whole milk
12 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
14 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - In a shallow dish, whisk together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder until evenly combined.
02 - Coat each cube steak thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Shake off any excess and reserve the leftover seasoned flour for the gravy.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, sear the dredged cube steaks for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply golden brown. Transfer the browned steaks to a plate and set aside.
04 - Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the thinly sliced onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
05 - Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved seasoned flour over the onions and stir continuously for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
06 - Slowly pour in the beef broth and whole milk while whisking constantly, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and dried thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the gravy begins to thicken slightly.
07 - Nestle the browned cube steaks and any accumulated juices back into the skillet, submerging them in the gravy. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the steaks are fork-tender and the gravy is rich and velvety.
08 - Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve hot over mashed potatoes, steamed rice, or buttered egg noodles.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The gravy practically makes itself right in the pan, soaking up every bit of flavor from the seared meat.
- Cube steak turns unbelievably tender after a slow simmer, no fancy cuts or techniques required.
- It tastes like something that took all day but only asks for about an hour of your time.
02 -
- Do not skip deglazing the pan because those browned bits on the bottom are where half the gravy flavor lives.
- Resist the urge to crank the heat during the simmer, because low and slow is what turns cube steak from chewy to melt in your mouth tender.
03 -
- Pat the cube steaks completely dry with paper towels before dredging, because excess moisture is the enemy of a good crust.
- If your skillet is not big enough to hold all four steaks and the gravy comfortably, transfer everything to a lightly greased baking dish, cover with foil, and finish simmering in a 325 degree oven instead.