Cube Steak or Cubed Steak is a cut of beef, usually Top Round or Top Sirloin, tenderized and flattened by pounding with a meat tenderizer. We often use the Top Sirloin for this prepared steak. The name refers to the shape of the indentations left by that process (called "cubing"). This is the most common cut of meat used for the beloved Chicken Fried Steak. In parts of the southern United States, Cube Steak may also be found labeled as Bucket Steak, a name derived from the buckets in which stacks of them are often sold. Our Cube Steaks come two per package, less than one-inch thick. They are ready to be prepared to the thickness you desire. When we pounded ours with a meat mallet for homemade Chicken Fried Steaks, we ended up getting eight individual steaks about 6-7” in diameter ready to be dredged in seasoned flour, dipped in an egg mixture, dredged in the seasoned flour again, and then pan-fried 3-4 minutes on each side. Because Cube Steak doesn't include much marbling of fat - it’s a lean cut - your steak won't contain a lot of fat by itself. Generally, count on less than 21 grams of fat in a 6-ounce serving if cooked over dry heat like grilling (but we don’t recommend grilling these beauties). Since they do not have the marbling, it's not unusual to use it in such dishes as Chicken Fried Steak, Stews, or other recipes that include a gravy to really amp up the tenderness and flavor. Cube Steak can be braised, pan-fried, or sautéed. It can even be baked in a casserole or cooked low and slow in a slow cooker. Examples of Cube Steak recipes include Swiss Steak, Chicken Fried Steak, Cheese Steaks, Beijing Beef and other quickly cooked Chinese beef recipes. Did I mention Chicken Fried Steak … Hmmm, coming from Texas myself, this is my favorite. But regardless, you don't want your Cube Steak to dry out, so count on putting it in gravy dishes, casseroles, or the like. Be creative, but for the most part, you want to cook your Cube Steak either very quickly or combined with other ingredients, such as onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and simmered slowly.
