Cubed steaks represent a great value in the meat department. An affordable cut of beef – usually top round or top sirloin – the extra lean cubed steaks have been flattened and pre-tenderized with a textured tool or machine. By pounding or running the meat through a tenderizer, the tough muscle fibers break down, but they can still give the old molars quite a workout – they’re still tough.
Recently a saw a package of cubed steaks that had been marked down and put them in my cart. I’d figure out to cook them when I got home.
You can put a cinder block in a crock pot and it’s tender in 6 hours, so I figured I’d go that route and I decided to use a can of French Onion Soup as the basis of my gravy. My concoctions was a hit – tender, juicy, flavorful and perfect over a bed of mashed potatoes. It was pretty simple to put together. Here’s how.
Start with 4 cubed steaks. Dust each one in a combination of flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder then brown each steak quickly in a hot skillet with a little olive oil. Do them in two batches to keep the steaks brown and crispy.
In a lined crock pot (for super easy clean up) empty one can of Campbell’s French Onion Soup, one cup of beef broth and 1 package of Au Jus Gravy mix. Stire well, then add the cubed steaks on top. Cook on low for 6 hours, rotating and basting about halfway through. The gravy is delicious and the Cubed Steaks cut with a fork. Yumm!
French Onion Cubed Steaks
4 cubed steaks
¼ C olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the skillet)
1 C flour
1 t salt
½ t pepper
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 Can French Onion Soup
1 C Beef broth
1 Pkg. Au Jus Gravy Mix
