Country Style Steak
Country Style Steak
Follow our easy, step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe to learn how to make Country Style Steak. This comfort food is an old Southern Classic. Onions and gravy are optional. Printable recipe included.
…
Country Style Steak, sometimes called Cubed Steak or Smothered Steak, is an old Southern favorite comfort food. It’s easy to make, and we include pan gravy and onions to make it that much better.
…
…
I realize that I call a lot of foods “my favorite” here on Taste of Southern. I guess it’s because most all of the recipes that we share are the foods I grew up with, the foods like Mama cooked, and the foods I enjoyed and still enjoy to this day.
I also refer to them as “comfort foods” because they all just sort of warm up your soul when you have them. Either because they are just that good, or because they transport you back in time and fill your mind and heart with lots of great memories.
Country Style Steak is one of my all time favorite comfort foods. It warms my soul. Smile. Mama cooked it often for us throughout her years. She’d serve it with a big bowl of her homemade mashed potatoes and I always seemed to eat more than my fair share. I love this stuff. Smile.
Cubed Steak still turns up as being a good buy most of the time in the grocery store. They take tougher cuts of meat, run them through a machine that “tenderizes” it by cutting into it, then packaging it in large family packs for purchase.
Mama would use the edge of a thick saucer to pound out some cuts of beef to make it more tender. And, you can buy meat mallets that help do the same thing, but what you purchase already tenderized in the grocery store is pretty much ready to go.
Thankfully, I found a smaller package since I’m now cooking for one, but you could even cook this, then freeze it for serving later if desired.
You’ll find this on the menu of just about any Diner or Mom and Pop restaurant throughout the South. Most everyone seems to love it and I hope you will too once you give it a try.
Ready to find out? Alright then, lets head on out to the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking!
…
Country Style Cubed Steak, you’ll need these ingredients.
I do include onions in the recipe, but because our Vidalia Onion wasn’t dressed and ready for this photo, we had to move on without it. Thankfully, it showed up just when we needed it below. Smile.
I also like to use these beef granules. You can use beef broth if you prefer. I find these little bottles of granules are much easier to keep on hand for when some additional flavoring is needed.
…
Just leave the cubed steak right on the tray it comes in. Add a bit of salt to both sides.
…
And, sprinkle some black pepper on both sides.
…
Place a cup or so of flour in a small bowl or container. Dip each piece of the cubed steak into the flour, pressing the flour into the meat on both sides until it’s fully coated.
…
Gently shake off any excess flour.
…
Place the coated pieces of steak right back on the tray and let them just rest for about 15 minutes. This helps the flour to stay on the meat a bit better and also helps bring the meat up to room temperature for more even cooking.
…
Place a skillet over Medium heat on your stove. When the pan is heated, add some cooking oil. You only need a thin layer of oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan good.
…
When the oil gets hot, gently place the coated cubed steaks in the hot oil.
…
Cook the steaks for three minutes, then use some tongs to flip it over. Both sides need to brown for three minutes. We’re not looking to cook the meat until it’s done at this point, just searing the meat on both sides and letting it brown a bit.
…
After the steaks have browned on both sides for three minutes each, remove the steaks from the skillet and place them on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
…
Leave the browned bits in the bottom of the skillet, but remove any excess oil above about three Tablespoons. You’re just eyeballing the amount, but you don’t want a lot of oil or grease left in the pan.
Now, sprinkle 3 Tablespoons of flour into the hot oil.
…
Quickly stir the flour into the oil, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosed the browned bits that might be sticking. Let flour cook and brown for one minute. If it’s cooking too fast, reduce the heat as needed.
…
Gradually start adding the broth. I’ve mixed 2 heaping teaspoons of the beef granules into two cups of warm water and stirred it together to make the broth. You could use the broth in the carton if you prefer. Not much difference.
Add it slowly and continue to stir the entire time. If the gravy starts to look lumpy, and it will, just continue to stir until the lumps dissolve and it all smooths out.
…
Add the onions if desired. I’m using one small onion that I sliced thin. I think they add great flavor to the dish but you can leave them out if you prefer. Yes, this just happens to be the time of the year where fresh Vidalia onions are available. I just didn’t include them in the photo of ingredients.
…
Place the cubed steaks back in the skillet with the onions and gravy. The gravy should almost cover the steaks so you could add more broth if needed.
…
Cover the skillet and let the steaks simmer on Medium-Low for 20 minutes.
…
The onions should be translucent at this point and the steaks will be nice and tender.
…
Enjoy!
…
Country Style Steak
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Total Time: 46 minutes
- Yield: Varies
- Category: Main Menu, meats
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American, Southern
Description
We’re turning cubed steak into Country Style Steak. It’s another Southern favorite comfort food that includes onions and gravy.
Ingredients
1 lb Cubed Steak
1 cup Flour, All-Purpose or Self-Rising
2 teaspoons Beef Granules, or use Beef Broth
1 small Onion, if desired
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Leave the cubed steak on it’s packing tray.
Add salt.
Add black pepper.
Place one cup flour in small tray or bowl.
Dredge each steak in flour, pressing flour into the meat.
Coat both sides well.
Set the coated steaks back on the package tray.
Let steaks rest for 15 minutes to dry and come to room temperature.
Place skillet over Medium heat on stove top.
Add a thin layer of cooking oil to the skillet.
When oil is hot, carefully add the steaks to the skillet.
Let brown for 3 minutes, then flip over.
Let other side brown for 3 minutes.
Remove from skillet and set aside for now.
Remove all but about 3 Tablespoons of oil from skillet. Leave the browned bits.
Sprinkle 3 Tablespoons of flour over the oil. Stir quickly.
Let the flour and oil cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
Gradually add the broth, stirring constantly to remove any lumps.
Add the sliced onions.
Place the steak pieces back in the skillet.
Cover skillet and let simmer on Medium-Low for 20 minutes.
Onions should be translucent and meat done and tender.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe can be easily doubled. Just add more cubed steak.
Keywords: cubed steak, country style steak, smothered steak, beef broth, onions, gravy, pan gravy.
…
Your Comments:
Have you ever had Country Style Steak? Do you know it as Cubed Steak, Country Style Steak, or Smothered Steak? What’s your favorite memory about our recipe.
Share your memories of this great Southern dish with us. It will only take a minute or two for you to leave your comments in the section below.
Just remember, all comments are moderated. That just means that I personally read each and everyone before they are approved for viewing on our family friendly website. Thank you in advance for sharing.
Sign Up For Our Free Newsletter:
While you’re here, be sure to sign up for our totally FREE NEWSLETTER. I’ll send you an Email every once in awhile to remind you when I post a new recipe, or when anything else of importance is going on around Taste of Southern. It’s totally free, and super easy to sign up. And, should you ever decide that you are no longer interested, it’s even quicker to unsubscribe. How cool is that? I’ll be looking forward to seeing you add your name to our list. The signup box is below and you’ll also find one in the top right hand corner of each page. I hope you’ll do it today.
Be Blessed!!!
Steve
..
You might also like: Salisbury Steak
Or, how about: Hamburger Steak
Maybe this: Pork Neck Bones with Gravy
.
Category: Beef, Main Dishes
I Made this for dinner tonight with mashed potatoes and fried okra . It was delicious And made great gravy. I like it better than the recipes that tell you to bake it in the oven and it is so much quicker. Thanks for sharing!!
★★★★★
Can this be made a day ahead and reheated?- I have to cook enough for 10 people this weekend.
Hi Avon, Cooking ahead and reheating shouldn’t be a problem with the Country Style Steak. I do hope you’ll try the recipe and let us know later how it turned out for you. Thank you for your visit and I do hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I best remember the wonderful smell wafting through the evening air calling my brothers and I in just as hungry as can be from hard playing (or fighting – brothers!).
★★★★★
Steve, the only thing I would change is to slowly saute the onions until they are caramelized. This brings out the sweetness of the onions and adds so much more flavor! I have used caramelized onions for most recipes that call for onions and have found they really enhance the flavors!
Thanks for all your letters and recipes.
I hope you’re feeling better soon and can travel with your brother.
When I was a young pre-teen girl, my grandmother would cook supper early in the day and leave it on the stove for supper when Mother got home from work. My only friends in the neighborhood were three boys…we ‘hung out’ in my yard every day…one day, Joe sneaked in the kitchen and ate most of the steak and gravy along with the mashed potatoes and they all ran home, and boy! did I get in trouble! It did no good trying to say I didn’t do it! Those were the days!
★★★★★
Hi Paula, Thank you for sharing your story with us. You made me laugh today. How brave was Joe? I appreciate you taking the time to share your memories of Country Style Steak with us. I do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Recipe pictures look delicious. I think I’ll make this sometime this week. Yummy. Thanks for all your delicious recipes. I have used the grilled onions over and over and over. Everyone likes them.
Thanks for this recipe. Makes me think of my mom who has passed on. She made the very best & anytime I see a recipe for Country Style Steak, I always think of her.
I make this all the time – and I’m in New Hampshire! I don’t simmer it after it’s fried – just serve it with gravy on top along with mashed potatoes. Delicious.
★★★★★
I like it fried without gravy. Are the 3 minutes per side enough for it to be done?
Hi Marsha, You probably will need to cook it a bit longer if you’re not making gravy. Just cut into a piece to see if it’s done to be sure. I do hope you’ll try the recipe and I look forward to hearing how it turns out for you. Thank you for your visit. I hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve, you won’t believe this, but I made this for dinner today … the same recipe except I added a little red and green cut up peppers and cooked in my NEW Pampered Chef Quick Cooker…. which I love … Great Southern Recipe !! Thanks for sharing and as always God Bless !!
★★★★★
Hi Kathryn, You know what they say, “great minds think alike” so there you go. I’ve never made this with peppers, I guess just because Mama never did and I’ve never had it that way. I bet it’s good though. And, that’s an awesome pot. I don’t have one but it looks interesting. Glad you’re enjoying it. Keep up the good work. Thank you for your visits and all of your support. Do be sure to stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
This has been a favorite dish since I was young. Have to have mashed potatoes with this. To my way of thinking, gravy is the perfect food.
Hi Karen, Most definitely have to have the mashed potatoes. What’s gravy without some mashed potatoes? Thank you for sharing your comments. I greatly appreciate it and hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Good Morning Steve,
We always called this Swiss Steak. I guess a lot of people put carrots and other things in to make it Swiss Steak, but not my Family. I havent made this for awhile but it sure sounds goods for tonight.
Thanks ahead for a good dinner ahead.
Judi Goodrich
★★★★★
Hi Judi, I’ve never had this Swiss Steak with the vegetables and all. Perhaps I need to try it that way sometime. Thank you for mentioning it. I appreciate your comment and your visits. I do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I fix it with white milk gravy also. One of my favorites.
★★★★★
Hi Kathy, Milk gravy is good also. Come to think of it, I don’t know if I’ve ever met a gravy that I didn’t like. Smile. I appreciate your comment and your visit. Be sure to stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
The Steak recipe looks SO Good. Raised by my Southern Grandparents-Grandma made this frequently–Not a day goes by that I don’t declare, (privately), just how much I miss them ALL. Big, Big family-but sis and I were the only children-buried my last relation when I was 27-been truly alone, in feeling, every since. I am now 54 and no matter what others may say, the good old days truly were good-special, even in the mundane.
As a side note, The Waltons Was my Sunday night institution! Laying on the floor in front of the television-you know the Sears Console that we believed to be magical! Even the Theme song gets me today! Thanks for sharing your memory-I know I am not alone in my love of ‘past things’. I honestly feel that this is what is wrong with our people today-Everything instant, nothing to look forward to. Back then you HAD to wait for things-even something as simple as a television program-Charlie Brown’s Great Pumpkin was Only on 1 night and no child wanted to miss it! The Little Drummer Boy and Frosty were near solemn occasions to most children-one night a year-and How we looked forward to those little special occasions!
★★★★★
Hi Cheryl, Thank you for sharing your memories of your family and youth with us. Kids now days would have no idea that you could take an old tobacco stick and ride it off into the sunset just like in the movies. Smile. We played outside all day, without anything electronic, and never got bored. In fact, we hated it when it got near dark and Mama would call us in, even if supper was waiting, we just wanted to keep playing. I was working nights when the Walton’s were on originally, but I’ve enjoyed watching ALL of the shows recently. I’ve got just a few episodes left to go out of all 9 seasons. I’ve really enjoyed the program. You my friend, are never ALONE. May God continue to watch over and keep you. Thank you for your visits and for being a subscriber to the Newsletter. I appreciate your visits and trust you will visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I grew up on this. I always thought the gravy was the best part. The only thing that that would make your’s more perfect is to have it with biscuits. Biscuits covered with gravy. Southern perfection.
★★★★★
Hi Clarnita, I was too lazy to make biscuits after cooking the steak and gravy, but you’re right, it would make it so much better. Thank you for your comments and for your visit. I do appreciate it and trust you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve