Crock Pot Cube Steak Recipe

Does anyone really know what cube steak actually is? According to Parade, cube steak is made out of top sirloin or top round. A meat tenderizer is used to pound the meat until it becomes perfectly tender. Now to be honest, those cuts, the top round and top sirloin, are not usually considered the best steak to be had. Thus all the tenderizing. But once you try this dish, which makes an already tender meat "so tender you can cut it with a fork," in the words of chef and recipe developer Laura Sampson of Little House Big Alaska, you'll have a few choice words about just how choice this steak can be.

To that end, Sampson adds that it's imperative that you use a properly pre-tenderized cube steak, not a sirloin or another cut. This recipe, which requires only about 15 minutes of hands-on work (and a lot of hands-off time as the slow cooker does the work for you), will yield a delicious and affordable entree that will surely become a family favorite in no time. It's the perfect meal to throw together during lunch time so that dinner can be ready with minimal time and effort. Are you wondering how to round that dinner out? Sampson suggests, "Serve this with mashed potatoes for that old-fashioned meal vibe. But you could also pair it with other mashed root vegetables, fresh bread, or even egg noodles!"

To prepare enough of this tasty, tender steak to feed four hungry bellies, you'll need between 2 and 2 ½ pounds of cube steak, some vegetable oil, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, ground black pepper, a 10 ¾-ounce can of cream of mushroom soup, beef broth (or vegetable broth, if need be), a small can of sliced mushrooms, sliced onions, cornstarch, and some cool water.

As far as substitutions are concerned, Sampson says, "I think for this [recipe] you could use cream of celery [soup], but I really prefer cream of mushroom for the way it pairs so nicely with beef." So do try to follow the recipe exactly! Take our word for it — you will not be sorry.

Start by cutting the cube steak into serving sized pieces, if needed. Then, place the flour on a plate or in a shallow bowl, and add the garlic and pepper, stirring to combine these dry ingredients, then dredge the cube steaks in the flour on all sides.

Next, heat up the oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat, and when the oil is hot, brown the coated steaks in the hot oil in batches, flipping as needed to brown on both sides. Then, set them aside.

While the steaks brown, whisk the soup and broth together in a medium bowl, then drain the mushrooms, and stir them into the soup and broth blend.

Put the browned steaks into the slow cooker, then carefully pour the combined soup and broth mix into the still-hot frying pan (the one you used with the steaks, e.g.), and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to get up all the tasty browned bits, mixing them into the liquid. Now, bring that liquid to a quick boil, then pour it over the steaks in the slow cooker.

Next, layer the onions on the top of everything in that slow cooker, and cover it with a lid. It's time to move on to the next step.

Now, you'll want to set a timer for six to eight hours if you will be slow cooking on the low setting (which is ideal if you have the time), or for three to four hours on the high setting (which is also fine).

Thirty minutes before it's time for serving, remove the steaks from the gravy, and cover them to keep the meat warm. Then, whisk together the cornstarch with the cold water, combining them fully, and then whisk these into the soup and broth mix in the crock pot. Cover the slow cooker again, and let this mixture cook until it has thickened. Be sure to taste the gravy and add salt as desired, noting that Sampson says, "The ingredients are pretty salty, so I don't think it needs it, but someone may [want more] salt."

Finally, add the steaks back to the gravy to coat them, then serve the meat hot with mashed potatoes, fresh bread, or whatever sounds great, spooning on lots of gravy. And if you end up with any leftovers (which is highly unlikely), that's a good thing. "The leftovers are almost better than the first night," Sampson says, adding, "I think the flavors just have time to meld."