What to do with Minute Steaks?

[CookinginMO/KS]

Time to clean out the freezer and deal with the remnants of a beef that we butchered earlier this year. I'm not a big fan of minute steaks but have a few packages and would appreciate anyone's suggestions.

[Terri_A]

If these are the paper thin "beef-like" steaks I remember from childhood - Cheesesteaks!!!!

[dorothyntototoo]

If they're what we called "cube steaks" we always had them as Chicken Fried Steak. How about sauteing them with some sliced mushrooms & onions? Or coating in bread crumbs & making something similar to Veal Parmesan with pasta & tomato sauce.

[sfarler]

I haven't made these for some time, but I used to marinate cube steaks in Italian dressing and grill. Very good.

[ttubbs]

Are minute steaks and cube steaks really the same thing? I never got that association before. I’ve always thought of minute steaks as thin, but relatively tender (not a wad of rubber) meat, much like Philly Cheese Steak. The cube steaks I’ve always thought of a gnarly wad of rubber. If you are in fact talking about a cubed steak, we also get packages of these when we send a cow to the butcher. My in-laws marinate them in soy sauce and oil (I think equal amounts of each), then grill them really fast (maybe that’s the ‘minute’ idea). They swear that cooking them fast keeps them from getting rubbery, but they are rubbery raw IMNSHO. Anyway, they all love it, so I am the odd man out on that one.

Personally, I like to brine them to get some flavor in there, and then braise them for a couple hours until they are tender.

I took a couple of culinary classes, and the chef gave us a recipe for something he called Czech Goulash. (Wait! It’s just a beef braise, maybe peasant like, but definitely a comfort food, stew, no macaroni or tomatoes involved). That’s what I usually make with cube steaks. Even my kids (6 year olds) slick it down.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Beef/Pork Goulash

Categories : beef main dishes
pork soups and stews

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pounds beef (shank or chuck) or pork shoulder -- cut in 3/4" - 1" cubes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion -- chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika
dash black pepper
pinch marjoram
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups beef stock -- approximately

Fry onion in oil until yellow; add paprika and meat; brown. Add seasonings; pour in 1/2 cup stock. Cover and simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours until tender, adding more stock as it evaporates. When meat is done, uncover it, and let all of the water evaporate. Dust with flour; stir until brown to make a roux. Add 1 cup more stock; simmer for 10 to 15 minutes longer. Serves 4 to 6.


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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 278 Calories; 19g Fat (63.7% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 44mg Cholesterol; 769mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat.

NOTES :
The onion totally melts into the sauce.
At school, we ate this over steamed dumplings. Fantastic!

At Home:
This is a great way to use cube/round steaks.
I substituted 2 tablespoons oil for the lard, and could have reduced that even more.
I brined the steak in 3 tsp salt to 4 cups water. To season, I added a sliced Serrano and molasses, but I didn't know I was going to use the meat for this dish. Next time I think I'll skip the pepper and add garlic and marjoram to the molasses and brine.
We served it over plain couscous.

[Curleytop]

I buy what is called "Breakfast Steak". They are thin, small pieces. I use my large black iron pan, heat it, put in a piece of butter, let it brown, add the steaks, and cook for about 1 minute each side. I serve them with sauteed
red onion slices! Add a baked potato and a veggy, and you have a quick dinner!

[bensdad]

Chicken fried, with mashed potatoes and milk gravy and buttermilk biscuits. yum :D

[CookinginMO/KS]

Thanks ladies. I guess they really are a cubed steak. DH loves the idea of chicken fried steak so I'll probably cook him that and marinate/grill some for me.