Crock Pot Cube Steak Recipe (with cream of Celery) (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook cube steak so it's not tough? ›

The best way to cook cube steak for tenderness is slowly and evenly, so a slow cooker can do the trick when you have ample time to spare. However, braising, pan-frying, and sauteing also work. Just be sure to cook with enough liquid to keep the steak moist.

Cook the cube steak in oil for about 1 or 2 minutes on each side. After you've browned the meat: Move it into the slow cooker. Let it cook on low for 6 to 8 hours to end up with perfectly tender cube steak.

Marinades containing acidic ingredients (like vinegar, lemon juice, or wine) can help break down the tough fibers in cube steak. Soak the meat in the marinade for several hours or overnight for maximum effectiveness.

Here's why: A steak that marinates in an acidic or enzymatic liquid too long, such as citrus juice or cola, becomes tough or mushy. But the acid in milk is so mild that you can soak beef in it long enough to tenderize it effectively, without damaging the proteins on the surface.

Pound it out.

Pounding softens and tenderizes meat, making it easier to cut and eat. One of the easiest — and cleanest — ways to do this is to sandwich the meat between a couple pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it before cooking.

Transfer the dish to the middle oven rack and cook for 30-45 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 120 degrees for medium rare. Let rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. If desired, place cube steaks atop rice or mashed potatoes, and drizzle beef or mushroom gravy over the top just before serving.

Cube steak is also famously breaded or battered and pan-fried for the comfort-food favorites chicken-fried steak or country-fried steak. Saucy accompaniments like brown or white gravy, mushrooms and caramelized onions are traditionally paired with cube steak to complement its firm texture.

No need to rinse it before cooking if you're not adding any batter or breading to the surface. Keep the temperature relatively low and cook the meat slowly, setting aside 1.5 to 2 hours for the entire process. Rushing the cube steak with higher heat will only toughen it.

The acetic acid in vinegar breaks down meat fibres and makes them more tender and flavoursome. Method: Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to your cooking liquids or soak your meat in vinegar before you cook it.

Salting. Most cuts of steak benefit from being salted up to an hour in advance of cooking, but especially tougher cuts. In addition to seasoning the steaks, salt helps break down proteins and make the meat more tender. Liberally salt the steaks up to an hour before cooking, then proceed according to your recipe.

What is the best ingredient to tenderize steak? ›

As well as acid, enzymes found in fruits like pineapple, kiwi, mangoes, and papaya disrupt the molecular structure of meat's connective tissue. Adding puréed fruit to your marinade turns tough and chewy meat tender and juicy. Again, you want to soften the steak, not reduce it to an unappetizing mush.

Because the cola is sugary, it adds some sweetness to the marinade. Acidity. “Cola is acidic, and marinating in acidic ingredients helps make meat, such as our steak, nice and tender," Ken says.

If you're on a time crunch and hoping to tenderize your chicken cutlets or other thinly sliced meats in a hurry, go with wet brining. Whereas an oversaturated saltwater brine might make your cut less filet-like, a baking soda wet brine expedites the tenderizing process and limits the potential for oversaturation.

“Evaporated milk makes desserts more luxurious, more tender, more rich without adding a lot of extra fat if you were to use cream,” says Martinez. Similarly, it brings creaminess to soups and stews, but more interestingly, Martinez says that it can be quite efficient in tenderizing meats.

You can velvet meat and make it melt-in-your-mouth tender by quickly tossing chunks of beef or chicken in about ¾ tsp of baking soda for about 15 minutes before your next stir fry, then rinse and pat the meat dry before putting in the pan.

Two options really, either it is really a poor cut of beef, or more likely it hasn't been cooked for long enough. Usually 3 hours in the oven in a casserole dish at 180C/350F should make any cut of beef tender. You probly cooked it to hot to fast. Try using a crock pot for tender beef .

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat.