Country Style Smothered Cube Steak (Printable Version)
Tender cube steaks braised in onion and mushroom gravy, served over mashed potatoes or rice for a cozy main.
# Ingredient List:
→ Meat
01 - 4 cube steaks, about 1.1 lb total
→ Coating
02 - 1/2 cup (about 2 oz) all-purpose flour
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
05 - 1/2 tsp paprika
→ Vegetables
06 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1 cup (about 3.5 oz) mushrooms, sliced
→ Gravy
08 - 2 cups beef broth
09 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional, for creamier gravy)
→ For Frying
11 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
# How to Make:
01 - Combine flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge each cube steak thoroughly in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
02 - Heat vegetable oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the coated steaks for 2 to 3 minutes per side until a golden-brown crust forms, working in batches if needed. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add the remaining butter. Sauté the sliced onions for 5 minutes until softened and translucent, then add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 3 minutes until lightly browned.
04 - Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
05 - Return the seared cube steaks to the skillet, nestling them into the onion and mushroom mixture. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the beef is fork-tender.
06 - For a creamier gravy, stir in the heavy cream during the final 5 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired.
07 - Serve hot, spooning the onion-mushroom gravy generously over each steak. Pairs well with mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered egg noodles.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The gravy practically builds itself from the browned bits left in the pan, which means almost no extra effort for maximum reward.
- Cube steak is budget friendly and turns fork tender with a long, gentle simmer in that savory broth.
02 -
- Do not rush the simmer because the cube steak needs that full 30 minutes to break down and become truly tender.
- Scraping the browned bits from the pan is not optional since that fond is where most of the gravy flavor lives.
03 -
- Let the skillet get fully hot before adding the steaks because a proper sear requires immediate contact with high heat.
- For a gluten free version, a one to one gluten free flour blend works seamlessly in place of regular flour.