CUT OF THE MONTH
CUBE STEAK
A.K.A Swiss Steak
But DON’T Call Me A Minute Steak
Not the fanciest cut out there but a meal that can feed you and your family, on a budget, for days!
Cube Steak isn’t a cube. Rather, it gets its name because it is tenderized with a mechanical tenderizer that leaves a “cube” imprint on the cut.
It usually comes from the back end of the cow: think top or round. The section can be tough. So using a tenderizer, sometimes called a “Swissing Machine” (unrelated to Switzerland), will help break down the muscle fibers and soften its texture quicker so you can chew it.
You don’t necessarily have to have mechanically tenderize meat if you’re going to crockpot it all day. But it sure does come in handy when you make that ever popular Chicken Fried Steak meal. Hello, Gravy!
With that said, you still can braise, sauté or pan-fry. Or crockpot them all day with a can of heavenly Campbell’s condensed anything (pick your poison).
I also stole this tip from Spruce Eats, which makes total sense: Some recipes call for you to dredge the meat in seasoned flour before browning it and then braise it, which only browns the flour, not the meat. Instead, directly brown the meat. It develops a lot more complex flavors than merely browning the flour.
Cube Steak doesn’t get enough credit. I remember VIVIDLY eating a billion pounds of cube steak as a kid. That was a Sunday Meal. Mom cooked it in that Strawberry roasting pan that was popular in the 80s. Side of mashed potatoes and use the pan gravy. Oh...my childhood is calling. And let me know if you had one of those strawberry-pattern pans?
And let us know if you need any cube steak to put on your family’s table this Sunday.
Note:
Minute steaks are not tenderized. They come from the top sirloin section and are cut very thin and pounded out. They are not cube steak, unless they are mechanically tenderized. Stop calling me a Minute Steak. Love, Cube Steak
