Country Style Smothered Cube Steak (Printable)
Tender beef steaks simmered in rich onion mushroom gravy for classic Southern comfort food.
# What You Need:
→ Meat
01 - 4 beef cube steaks, approximately 5 to 6 ounces each
→ Seasoning and Coating
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
→ Fats
06 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Vegetables
08 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
09 - 8 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
11 - 2 cups beef broth
12 - 1/2 cup whole milk
13 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
→ Garnish
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
# How To Make:
01 - In a shallow dish or wide bowl, combine the flour, salt, black pepper, and paprika. Mix thoroughly until evenly blended. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour mixture and set aside for thickening the gravy later.
02 - Pat each cube steak dry with paper towels. Working one at a time, press each steak firmly into the seasoned flour, coating both sides completely. Shake off any excess flour and transfer to a clean plate or cutting board.
03 - Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Once the butter has melted and the fat begins to shimmer, carefully lay the dredged cube steaks in the pan without overcrowding. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side until a deep golden-brown crust forms. Transfer the browned steaks to a plate and set aside.
04 - Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the same skillet along with the sliced onions and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until the onions are softened and translucent and the mushrooms have released their moisture and turned golden brown.
05 - Add the minced garlic and the reserved 2 tablespoons of seasoned flour to the skillet. Stir continuously for about 1 minute to cook off the raw garlic and flour taste, allowing the flour to lightly toast and coat the vegetables.
06 - Slowly pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, stirring constantly while scraping up all the caramelized browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the whole milk and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
07 - Return the seared cube steaks to the skillet, nestling each one down into the bubbling gravy. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid, and let everything simmer gently for 20 minutes. The steaks should become fork-tender and the gravy should thicken to a silky, coating consistency.
08 - Remove the lid and taste the gravy, adjusting the salt and pepper if needed. Transfer each steak to a plate, spooning generous amounts of the onion-mushroom gravy over the top. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately alongside mashed potatoes, steamed rice, or buttered egg noodles.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The gravy practically makes itself while the steaks simmer, so you get deep flavor without standing over the stove forever.
- Cube steak is budget friendly but tastes like you spent three times as much when its swimming in that rich onion mushroom sauce.
02 -
- Do not skip browning the steaks because that golden crust is where a huge amount of flavor lives and it also helps the flour coating stay put during simmering.
- The gravy will look thin when you first add the liquid but it thickens considerably during the covered simmer so resist the urge to add extra flour.
03 -
- Pat the cube steaks completely dry with paper towels before dredging or the flour coating will turn gummy instead of forming that crispy crust you want.
- Let the steaks rest uncovered on a wire rack for five minutes after dredging so the flour really adheres to the meat before it hits the hot pan.