Alton Brown Cube Steak Recipes

ELECTION NIGHT SIRLOIN STEAK

Steps:

• Coat the steak with 1 tablespoon of the salt and set on a rack inside a rimmed pan and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. The steak should come up to somewhere between 45 and 50°F. Tear off an 18-inch long piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and have it standing by near the cooktop
• When about 5 minutes of the salting time remains, place a 12-inch cast iron skillet over the highest heat you've got for a full 5 minutes. You will want to crank up your ventilation hood to high and open a window; there's gonna be smoke.
• Evenly sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of salt across the bottom of the hot skillet. Lightly coat both sides of the steak with the oil. Place right in the middle of the pan and don't touch it for 2 minutes. Flip and rotate 90 degrees so that the steak hits fresh pan (and fresh salt) and cook another 2 minutes, uninterrupted.
• Turn the steak up on one long edge and cook for 30 seconds, then turn and cook along the opposite edge for another 30. If you're checking, its internal temperature should be between 70° and 72°F. Transfer to the foil and wrap tightly for 3 minutes. During this time leave the skillet on the heat. (Did I mention there would be smoke?)
• After 3 minutes, unwrap the steak and place it back in the pan for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3. Flip and cook another 2, then flip and cook a final 2 minutes. At this point, the internal temperature should be 120°F. (If you prefer your steak more on the rare side, decrease the final cook times to 2 minutes, 2 minutes, then 1 and 1. Its internal temperature should be between 105 and 110°F.)
• Return the steak to the foil and wrap tightly to rest for 5 minutes. Then unwrap and slice thin on the bias. Serve with any accumulated juices.

CUBE STEAK SALISBURY STYLE - ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• Place oven rack in lower middle position and preheat to 250°F Meanwhile, stir together flour, salt, and black pepper on a large plate. Dredge both sides of each cube steak in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
• Add one tablespoon each of oil and butter to Dutch oven and place over medium high heat. When oil is shimmering, add two cube steaks. Cook until golden brown, about four minutes on each side. Remove cube steaks to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining two cube steaks, adding more oil and butter if necessary.
• Carefully pour out any fat left in Dutch oven, then add remaining butter and oil. Turn heat to medium-high, and when oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is caramelized, about three minutes. Add wine. Using wooden spatula, scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan.
• Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and stock. Stir well, then add cube steaks, nestling them into sauce as much as possible. Cover dutch oven and place on lower-middle rack of oven. Cook until very tender, about 25 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.

COUNTRY STYLE STEAK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Dredge the pieces of meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Dredge in the flour again and set aside.
• Add enough of the vegetable oil or bacon fat to just cover the bottom of a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the steaks to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a plate and repeat until all of the steaks have been browned.
• Remove the last steaks from the pot and add the chicken broth and thyme and whisk until the liquid just comes to a boil. Return the steaks to the pot and make sure they are all submerged in the liquid. Cover the pot and place it in the oven on the middle rack. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart.

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.
• Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.
• Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.