Cube Steak

[Updated 2019 with new recipes] I read an interesting article on The New York Times site about beef cube steak and it mentioned that sales increased by 10% in the last quarter of 2008. This is surely a sign where the economy’s at and signaling a growing interest in budget cooking (you can read the article here: nytimes.com).

The cut is simply round steak that’s been pulverized a bit to make it more tender (you’ll see it packaged with little squares/indentations running through it). It’s sometimes confused with “minute steak” but it’s not as thinly cut as that is. It’s also quite lean with little fat or marbling (aka “not much flavor”). The challenge is how to cook it so that’s not only edible–but tasty too.

This Recipe Hit List collection offers nearly 20 dishes to try, some in the more traditional way (fried with gravy or as a slow-cooked meal), while others offer a tasty twist. Enjoy! (many of the summaries below contain quotes from the websites).

1. Teriyaki Skewers: The marinade is a simple to make teriyaki sauce. Soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple juice, oil, garlic, and onions. Simple to make. Combine and then drench and soak the beef for an hour then begin skewering. BeyerBeware.
2. With Lime Mojo: Mojo is a garlicky citrus sauce that’s popular throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This lime-heavy version (most mojo is made with sour oranges, a tropical fruit) is a perfect marinade for cube steak, a quick-cooking cut of beef round. From Fine Cooking.
3. Bites w/ Garlic Butter: If you’ve got meat lovers in your life, you HAVE to try these bites. They’re amazing simply eaten out of the pan with toothpicks, or serve them over mashed potatoes for a hearty dinner option. Dinner at the Zoo.
4. Country Style – Instant Pot: Country Style is a favorite meal in many homes in the South. It is made with lightly battered meat that is cooked in a brown gravy and onions until tender. From A Fork’s Tale.
5. With Onion Gravy: The whole meal can be made start to finish in about 20 minutes. I love to serve this over mashed potatoes to soak up all that yummy gravy with a side of peas. Are you a fan of peas mixed into your mashed potatoes? I love it! Spicy Southern Kitchen.
6. Dijon: A bistro-style dish that is extra succulent. Suggests serving with hash browns & steamed broccoli. Epicurious.
7. Roasted Tomato & Feta Saute: Baby spinach leaves, Italian parsley, prosciutto, fire-roasted tomatoes (canned), kalamata olives, crumbled feta…yum! From Publix Super Markets.
8. Grilled Rollups: Put all ingredients into a blender and puree. Pour over meat in a glass dish or gallon zipper bag and place in the refrigerator 2-24 hours. Can be marinated up to three days for tough cuts. Bacon and cream cheese are added to complete the dish. From Amanda’s Cookin.
9. Slow Cooker w/ Buttered Mushrooms: The crockpot turns an average steak into a tender and extremely flavorful meal with this recipe. From Sizzling Eats.
10. Stuffed With Spinach & Gorgonzola: Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar, fresh thyme & rosemary are a few of the ingredients needed. Piedmontese.
11. Parmigiana Style: If you’re tired of fried, this one dresses it up Italian-style with cheese, tomato sauce, basil and oregano. Taste Of Home.
12. Cheese Sandwich: (Yields 2) Cheesesteak-style, made with fresh mozzarella, brown sugar, sliced onion, Worcestershire, butter, French/hoagie/deli rolls. From lol foodie.
13. Shortcut Stew: It was like a rustic, minestrone type flavor. Made with onion, minced garlic, potatoes, a can of tomato puree/crushed tomatoes, bouillon, water, oregano, sage, parsley, Gravy Master, frozen green peas/mixed vegetables, chopped green pepper, Bisquick mix and milk (for dumplings). Dinner At Christina’s.
14. Milanese: This cut is elevated to new heights in this recipe. The salad, with chopped arugula, basil, tomatoes and sharp Italian cheese, is the picture of summer simplicity; all it needs is olive oil and lemon to dress it. Eating Well.
15. Southern Style with Milk Gravy: Smothered in a creamy and flavorful milk gravy, this dish is yet another bit of proof that simple food is often times the best! Southern Plate.
16. Casserole: I have been making this delicious casserole for years. This dish is loved by everyone in our house. It smells so good while it is baking that you will be drooling to taste it. Dry soup mix, cream of mushroom soup (canned), water, Minute Rice (white or brown), flour, salt and pepper. Serendipity Bistro.
17. Southwest Rolls: Cornbread stuffing mix, stewed tomatoes (can), diced green chilis (canned), chili powder. Eat at Home.
18. Braised with Orange: Quick & easy, can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Ingredients include vegetable oil, thinly sliced onion, freshly grated orange zest, minced garlic, low-salt broth, soy sauce. at Epicurious.
19. Chicken Fried with Diced Potato Gravy: In this classic, the meat is dipped in an egg mixture then fried. From Food Network.

Quick Beef Cube Steak Recipes. Crockpot Cubed Steaks With Gravy Just a Pinch. Brown gravy, onions, water, onion gravy, flour, gravy, cube steaks and 1 more. Smothered Cajun Cube Steaks Jam Hands. Beef bouillon granules, salt, onion, steaks. Updated 2019 with new recipes I read an interesting article on The New York Times site about beef cube steak and it mentioned that sales increased by 10% in the last quarter of 2008. This is surely a sign where the economy's at and signaling a growing interest in budget.

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Comments

jadegreenReply

I don’t know why they say that cube steak is an inexpensive cut of meat. Perhaps in NY, it is but here in the Midwest, it costs $3.49/lb. Round steak is equally expensive. I wait until top or bottom round roasts go on sale, cut it into thin steaks and use my Deni 48-blade meat tenderizer. I also do the same for chuck roasts, after I trim off the excess fat. The chuck roast has better flavor than the round steak.

ChristinaReply

Wow! Thank you for listing my recipe – I hope others love it as much as we do. I’ve made it 3 or 4 times since then.

Also, jadegreen, I’m in the midwest (Chicagoland) and our cube steak is only around $1.99/lb. Maybe try a different grocery store than your usual one, to see if you can find it cheaper elsewhere?

AngelaReply

I’m in Missouri and it’s 3.49 lb here too. At every store in town. I’m shocked it’s so cheap

minnie pittmanReply

Yeah,I know what u mean.Here it is $3.69/lb and it is never on sell.I wonder why it is so expensive here.I’ts my favorite meat.

JTREXALReply

I just bought cube steak and paid $5.49/lb (10/06/2012) and I live in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

AlisonReply

Ft. Lauderdle here . September 2013. just bought beef cubed steak. 4.99 a lb. WOW. this better be good.

Derek BarrowsReply

Mississippi it’s 1.29 a pound I would never by this over 2.00$ a pound.

Sharon DReply

I like to just pound it flat and use it for cheese steak sandwiches.
Love it! Cheap (sometimes) and easy.

jadegreenReply

Never tried making cheese steak sandwiches, Sharon. Think I will give it a try the next time round steak goes on sale. On a nice Kaiser roll, it would be fantastic. Do you still bread it?

MarkReply

Sounds good. We always alternately called cube steak, minute steak, because you can fry it quickly. Mom always just fried in a pan with a bit of butter. Salt and generous pepper while frying. Serve on a slice of your favorite toasted bread so absorb the juices. Eat with fork and knife like a steak.
Mmmmm…

DeborahReply

I love to just throw them in a skillet with some beef broth and simmer till done and serve with pinto beans and rice and a little bit of butter. Yummy!

Debby BReply

Hi there, How long do you simmer them? How do you know they’re done? Thanks for your help! Your recipe sounds good!!!

jadegreenReply

Christina, I live in DuPage Cnty. and all the stores, even grocery stores not using union workers charges $3.29/lb to $3.49 when it isn’t on sale. The sale price is usually $3.29 – $2.99! So I wait until top or bottom round roasts or round steak goes on sale and make my own.

TiffanyReply

Thanks for sharing the Southwest Beef Roll recipe from my blog. That was a nice surprise!

I’ve made the Marlboro Man sandwiches from Pioneer Woman before too. I can bribe my 14 year old son with those 😉

CyndiReply

We are avid hunters. Stocking our freezers is just one of the benefits. We process our own meat. we make cube steak using 90% of our meat. the rest is used for ground meat & sausage. It’s so good & really helps on the grocery bill. I’m looking forward to making marlboro man’s favorite sandwhich.

chabiasReply

I make the Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich all the time. Delicious! Note…it’s much easier to slice the cube steak if it’s semi-frozen.

SandraReply

Buy round steak in family packs and use a meat mallet to tenderize it. It’s cheaper that way. However, I like the flavor of round and if it’s cooked quickly you don’t need to pound it because it won’t be tough.

I like to slice round steak thin and use it in stir fry such as beef broccoli or pepper steak. I fry the steak first on high heat until barely done, 60-90 seconds, then remove it from the pan (if you don’t it WILL get tough) then add veggies, herbs and liquid. When the veggies are crisp/tender I add back the meat for a few seconds to reheat and to thicken the liquid with a little cornstarch in water or broth or whatever.

I also buy top round and cut it into serving size portions, sprinkle with meat tenderizer (the kind that does not contain MSG) pepper and minced garlic and fry very quickly in a little butter in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. It will get a nice crusty brown and tastes wonderful. Be careful not to overcook it. Medium to medium-rare is best. You can deglaze the skillet and make luscious gravy for mashed potatoes.

Top round is a little more tender than bottom round so I use the top for frying and bottom round for braising.

ChrisReply

Personally I find it just fine plain, just like cooking any other steak. To me, it’s right in the middle between steak and hamburger. I look at it as premium burger meat.

BrittaniaReply

That so cheap! Its $5.15 for only 1 pack in NYC!

kayReply

Just made cube steak with potato gravy very good thanks a million

Daniel G. O'ColganReply

“Are you tired of chicken fried steak?”

This is a question that will likely see you hanged, drawn, and quartered down here in The South. lol

BrinReply

I can’t believe someone even put those words together in the same sentence. The horror! 😉 -B from Texas

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kat SReply

We are making cube steak know, breading it and frying it out always the best. It cost 4.99 lb in Greenville SC.

AmberReply

If you think beef cubed steak is expensive, try pork cubed steak. I tried it one tinge and I no longer use beef. I have found that it tastes better and there is no gristle. It’s usually about 3.00/lb.

Vickie EvansReply

I’m with Amber – I also like the cubed pork cutlets. And I recently tried the cubed chicken cutlets – theya re good also.

MaryReply

$3.99 a pound here in fabulous Pensacola, Florida. I happen to love it though.

shawnReply

the best way ive found is to pan sear it after flouring it with a paprika, cracked pepper, garlic salt, oregano and flour blend….just tasty…!!!

ShawnReply

I tried this tonight and my boys loved it!

sandi fiquettReply

cube steak is $3.99 to $5.99 here in the Florida Panhandle. I salt/pepper my steak, pound it flat & marinate in buttermilk for 10-15 minutes, flour then pan fry….Mmmmm, good, tasty &crusty, serve
with homemade sour cream mashed potatoes & gravy

TaraReply

Texas(South Ft. Worth) cubed steak is $1.68 pound! CHEAP!!! I make Chicken Fried Steak with it and also Swiss Steak. CFS takes about 30 to an hour to do depending on how many I feed. Swiss steak no matter how many I feed will take about 20-30 minutes.

TracyReply

My mother always made what she called “silver turtles” she would put the cube steak in foil packets, add potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, onions, peppers, seasonings and butter. Fold up the foil into air tight packets, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 1 hour minimum. Depending on your oven the time may vary. She made each one of us a “silver turtle” custom to what we liked in it. After baking you place the individual packets on plates and eat:) Very easy, and no clean up required.

HeatherReply

I live in south Louisiana, what I do is soak it in an egg wash seasoned with salt, garlic powder, cayenne, Wostershire, and cajun seasoning , breaded in flour and deep fried… Yum

ShirleyReply

Brown a package of 4-6 cube steaks
Mix 1 dry package of cheap brown gravy with 2 cups water, 2 Tsp flour. Whisk well
1 sliced thin onion
When cube steaks are browned, , combine with gravy mix and sliced onion in a covered skillet.
Bring to boil, Simmer for 30 -45 minutes on low
Gravy thickens up, a salisbury steak type
We like it with whipped potatoes or baked

SonyaReply

Shirley, this is just how my Mama used to make cube steak. I had forgotten all about this. Just made it for dinner and it was a HIT!!! Cheap, easy and comforting. Thanks for sharing!!!

Tina RiveraReply

I always season with Adobo- Goya brand all purpose seasoning powder, then brown both sides. Slice an onion -medium to large sized, into rings. Lay the rings over the “steaks” add 1/4 cup water or broth and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. I think the vinegar helps to standardize and it does not make it taste pickled or anything, just delish over white rice. The onions and juices make it great. A garlic clove added with the onion won’t hurt 🙂

Cubed steak

Type	Round cut of beef

Cube steak or cubed steak is a cut of beef, usually top round or top sirloin, tenderized and flattened by pounding with a meat tenderizer, or by using an electric tenderizer. The name refers to the shape of the indentations left by that process (called 'cubing').^[1] This is the most common cut of meat used for the American dish chicken fried steak.

Minute steak[edit]

In Ireland, Canada, Australia, and some parts of the United States, cube steak may be called a minute steak,^[2] because it can be cooked quickly.

Minute steak may also be distinguished by:^[3]

• simply referring to the cut, which is not necessarily tenderized;
• thinner than cube steak (hence does not need tenderizing);
• cut from sirloin or round, while cube steak cut is from chuck or round.

The term minute steak is also used in the United Kingdom, where the term cube steak is little known.

Bucket Steak[edit]

In parts of the southern United States, cube steak is also known as bucket steak, a name derived from the cardboard buckets in which stacks of them are often sold.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^Kim Severson (2009-03-04). 'Turning to Cube Steak, and Back to Childhood'. nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
2. ^'Meat Glossary'. The Butchers Guild.
3. ^Randal W. Oulton. 'Cube Steak'. Practicallyedible.com. Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2009-06-20.