How to Cook Cube Steak in the Oven
My Oven Baked Smothered Cube Steak always means a crowd around the dinner table. This comfort food weeknight meal is made from scratch and worth the effort. I make it just exactly the way Mom did.
I think we can all agree that meals made from scratch are the most delicious because they are full of flavor and prepared with love!
You will be making the gravy from scratch using the roux from browning the cube steaks sort of like country fried but not quite. I promise, you can do this! We have step by step photos and instructions followed by a video and a printable recipe.
Let's start cooking!
Get out a big skillet and a baking dish or use a big cast iron skillet to fry and then bake your Smothered Cube Steak.
You will begin by searing the onions. Onions are always optional. If you have an onion lover free home, skip this step.
Place about 2 Tbsp. of Olive oil in the skillet and add sliced onions.
Cook on medium high until onions are clear, stirring often. Take the onions up leaving the oil in the skillet.
Skipping the onions? Start Here ⇓⇓
Printable Recipe Below
After coating the cubed steak front and back with seasoned flour, fry on both sides just until lightly browned.
You are not trying to cook through. You only want brown the outside of the meat and take up. Drain on paper toweling. Leave about 3 Tablespoons of oil and the meat renderings in the skillet for making the gravy.
Leave the burner on a medium high heat.
Sprinkle a couple Tablespoons of sifted flour across the surface of the skillet into the oil. There shouldn't be much gravy base at this point.
Don't worry, that little bit of gravy base will make a skillet full of gravy!
Using a fork or a whisk stir and break up any lumps at this time. You will need to work quickly.
Next, add your liquid, slowly stirring as you pour.
Not so secret ingredient to make the gravy a nice brown color and give it flavor. Use about 1 cup of black coffee followed by hot water until you have the desired amount of gravy in your skillet.
Continue stirring until the gravy comes to a boil.
Turn the burner down to a medium heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until desired thickness is achieved.
Place the cubed steak into an appropriate sized baking dish which you have sprayed with non-stick spray. Add the seared onions now before adding the gravy.
Pour the gravy over the meat and onions. Cover with foil.
The secret to fork tender Oven Baked Smothered Cube Steak is to cook it slow on low. Bake at 300° for about 3 hours.
Print or download recipe below.
Can This Be Done In A Crockpot?
Yep, not quite the same, we cheat on the gravy, but see for yourself when you also try my recipe for Crockpot Cube Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Serve over a bed of rice and enjoy the compliments from your family! This meal is what we call 'fork tender', no knife required.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Made from scratch Oven Baked Cube Steak with homemade Brown gravy
Ingredients
- 4 cube steaks
- 1 small onion (optional)
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 cup prepared black coffee (Instant will work)
- 1 Cup sifted flour for the cube steak
- 2 Tbsp. sifted flour for the gravy
- 2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 Cups Hot water (amount may vary)
Instructions
- Place about 2 Tbsp. of Olive oil in the skillet and add sliced onions.
- Cook on medium high until onions are clear.
- Take the onions up leaving the oil in the skillet.
Browning the Meat
- Coat the cubed steak front and back with seasoned flour
- Fry on both sides just until lightly browned. (You are not trying to cook through, only brown the outside of the meat and take up.)
- Drain on paper toweling.
MAKE THE GRAVY
- You will need medium high heat for this process. Do not walk away!!
- Leave the oil and the meat renderings in the skillet for making the gravy.
- Sprinkle a couple Tablespoons of sifted flour across the surface of the skillet into the hot oil.
- (There shouldn't be much gravy base at this point. Don't worry, that little bit of gravy base will make a skillet full of gravy!)
- Using a fork, stir and break up any lumps at this time. You will need to work quickly.
- Add your liquid, slowly stirring as you pour. (To make the gravy brown, I use about 1 cup of black coffee which adds that special flavor to homemade brown gravy.) Then add HOT water until you have the desired amount of gravy, stirring constantly.
- Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper.
- Continue stirring until the gravy comes to a boil. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until desired thickness is achieved.
BAKE IT!
- While gravy is simmering, place the browned meat into a prepared baking dish.
- Place the onions on top of the meat.
- Pour the gravy over the top of the meat.
- Cover with foil.
- Bake at 300° for about 3 hours.
- Serve over a bed or rice or mashed potatoes and enjoy!
Notes
If you are skipping the onions, just begin with Browning the Meat in the Instructions.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4 Serving Size
4 oz.
Amount Per Serving Calories 639 Total Fat 43g Saturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 30g Cholesterol 98mg Sodium 195mg Carbohydrates 29g Fiber 1g Sugar 1g Protein 33g
Nutrition information is not accurate based on uncontrollable variables in home kitchens.
How to Cook Cube Steak in the Oven
Source: https://intelligentdomestications.com/2014/08/oven-baked-smothered-cube-steak.html