What's a cube steak?

sf said:

I had an AHA moment while watching Semi-Homemade today. I've never
managed to figure out what chicken fried steak was in spite of having
relatives by marriage who love it (nope, I've never asked them to
serve it to me).

The cube steak looked like hamburger except it held together - so it's
a pretenderized WHAT?. Is cube steak what you're supposed to use for
this or is some other cut usually used?

TIA

Depends on your recipe. I pound round steak with a mallet for mine. Cube
steak is basically that, cute into pieces and run through a tenderizing
machine to give it that weird "holes in it" effect. Usually more expensive
than just beating the [censored] out of round steak and then cutting it up
yourself 🙂 You can buy tenderized whole round steaks, too.

Jill (adding round steak to my shopping list)

On Tue 12 Jul 2005 05:50:34p, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

I had an AHA moment while watching Semi-Homemade today. I've never
managed to figure out what chicken fried steak was in spite of having
relatives by marriage who love it (nope, I've never asked them to
serve it to me).

The cube steak looked like hamburger except it held together - so it's
a pretenderized WHAT?. Is cube steak what you're supposed to use for
this or is some other cut usually used?

TIA

Cube steak usually starts its life out as round steak, although other not-
so-tender cuts may be used. The old equipment that processed it into cube
steak was called a cubing machine. Today it's more commonly known as a
tenderizing machine. The meat is passed through the machine where dozens
or hundreds of tiny knives pierce and cut through the meat at close
intervals. Voila! Cube Steak! More recently I've noticed in the
supermarket that pork steaks and even turkey meat are being sold as
tenderized cuts, having made the same pass through the same type of
equipment.

Chicken fried steak, or country fried steak, is usually made from cube
steak that has been coated in some fashion from as simple as a seasoned
flour to dips into milk and egg, crumbs, etc.

Many decades ago when the cubing machine wasn't as common, folks bought
round steak and attacked it with a mallet that had deep raised diamond-
shaped or linear patterns on it. It was pounded half to death before
coating and cooking.

HTH

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0528-2, 07/12/2005
Tested on: 7/12/2005 6:07:52 PM
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

On Tue 12 Jul 2005 06:02:17p, jmcquown wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

sf said:

I had an AHA moment while watching Semi-Homemade today. I've never
managed to figure out what chicken fried steak was in spite of having
relatives by marriage who love it (nope, I've never asked them to
serve it to me).

The cube steak looked like hamburger except it held together - so it's
a pretenderized WHAT?. Is cube steak what you're supposed to use for
this or is some other cut usually used?

TIA

Depends on your recipe. I pound round steak with a mallet for mine.
Cube steak is basically that, cute into pieces and run through a
tenderizing machine to give it that weird "holes in it" effect. Usually
more expensive than just beating the [censored] out of round steak and then
cutting it up yourself 🙂 You can buy tenderized whole round steaks,
too.

Jill (adding round steak to my shopping list)

When I'm going to make chicken fried steak I always pick out the round
steak I want, then take it to someone in the meat department and ask them
to run it through the tenderizer. There's never any extra charge.
Perhaps the prepackaged cube steak is sold at a higher price. I don't
know. I prefer picking out the piece of steak myself so I really know
what I'm getting.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0528-2, 07/12/2005
Tested on: 7/12/2005 6:13:38 PM
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

sf said:

I had an AHA moment while watching Semi-Homemade today. I've never
managed to figure out what chicken fried steak was in spite of having
relatives by marriage who love it.

<snip>

I think you're just trying to get the "I hate Sandra Lee" threads going
again.

Kevin_Sheehy spaketh thusly:

Quoted message said:

sf wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I had an AHA moment while watching Semi-Homemade today. I've
never managed to figure out what chicken fried steak was in
spite of having relatives by marriage who love it.

<snip>

I think you're just trying to get the "I hate Sandra Lee"
threads going again.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who smelled a rat here.

--
_________________________________________
If u are gonna say that I said something,
please say what I REALLY said. ($1 Earl)

I-zheet M'drurz said:

Kevin_Sheehy spaketh thusly:

Quoted message said:

sf wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I had an AHA moment while watching Semi-Homemade today. I've
never managed to figure out what chicken fried steak was in
spite of having relatives by marriage who love it.

<snip>

I think you're just trying to get the "I hate Sandra Lee"
threads going again.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who smelled a rat here.

sf is *not* a troll.

Carol

One time on Usenet, Wayne Boatwright <[email hidden]> said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Many decades ago when the cubing machine wasn't as common, folks bought
round steak and attacked it with a mallet that had deep raised diamond-
shaped or linear patterns on it. It was pounded half to death before
coating and cooking.

I have an old wooden mallet like that -- it belonged to my
grandmother...

--
Jani in WA (S'mee)
~ mom, VidGamer, novice cook, dieter ~

On Tue 12 Jul 2005 06:23:36p, I-zheet M'drurz wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Kevin_Sheehy spaketh thusly:

Quoted message said:

sf wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I had an AHA moment while watching Semi-Homemade today. I've
never managed to figure out what chicken fried steak was in spite of
having relatives by marriage who love it.

<snip>

I think you're just trying to get the "I hate Sandra Lee" threads
going again.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who smelled a rat here.

Sandra Lee's a rat?

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0528-2, 07/12/2005
Tested on: 7/12/2005 6:26:35 PM
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

Wayne Boatwright said:

When I'm going to make chicken fried steak I always pick out the round
steak I want, then take it to someone in the meat department and ask them
to run it through the tenderizer.

<snip>

You need a Volvo.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

sf said:

[...]The cube steak looked like hamburger except it held together
- so it's a pretenderized WHAT?.

Heya, sf-

Thanks for bringing back my worst childhood food memory. My mom used
to make "cube steak" regularly. An incredibly tough round cut was
rendered 10% less tough by having been mechnically beaten until it
looked like a meat waffle, then twice as tough by being badly
overcooked, then disguised with a topping of fried onions. I always
saved it for last, since (1) by definition, you couldn't eat anything
after you finished the cube steak because it was impossible to finish
the cube steak, and (2) chewing it worked great for pulling the stuck
bits of corn out of one's teeth.

Quoted message said:

Is cube steak what you're supposed to use for this

No. Cube steak is what you're not supposed to use for anything.

Dan Masi

sf said:

I had an AHA moment while watching Semi-Homemade today. I've never
managed to figure out what chicken fried steak was in spite of having
relatives by marriage who love it (nope, I've never asked them to
serve it to me).

The cube steak looked like hamburger except it held together - so it's
a pretenderized WHAT?. Is cube steak what you're supposed to use for
this or is some other cut usually used?

TIA

where is penmart when u need him..

Wayne Boatwright said:

Quoted message said:

Cube steak usually starts its life out as round steak, although other not-
so-tender cuts may be used. The old equipment that processed it into cube
steak was called a cubing machine. Today it's more commonly known as a
tenderizing machine.

Quoted message said:

Many decades ago when the cubing machine wasn't as common, folks bought
round steak and attacked it with a mallet that had deep raised diamond-
shaped or linear patterns on it. It was pounded half to death before
coating and cooking.

The first time I made country fried steak many years ago a girlfriend
gave me her recipe out of her Betty Crocker cookbook. I bought the
round steak and told my b/f what we were having. While he was taking a
shower I was pounding the hell out of that steak and believe me, it was
tender when I got through with it. When he got out of the shower he
wanted to know if I had completed the den conversion he had been
working on. He said he could hear me pounding on that steak over the
water running in the shower with the door closed.

Quoted message said:

sf said:

[...]The cube steak looked like hamburger except it held together
- so it's a pretenderized WHAT?.

Heya, sf-

Thanks for bringing back my worst childhood food memory. My mom used
to make "cube steak" regularly. An incredibly tough round cut was
rendered 10% less tough by having been mechnically beaten until it
looked like a meat waffle, then twice as tough by being badly
overcooked, then disguised with a topping of fried onions. I always
saved it for last, since (1) by definition, you couldn't eat anything
after you finished the cube steak because it was impossible to finish
the cube steak, and (2) chewing it worked great for pulling the stuck
bits of corn out of one's teeth.

Quoted message said:

Is cube steak what you're supposed to use for this

No. Cube steak is what you're not supposed to use for anything.

Dan Masi

You're fired, get your dumb butt outta my kitchen, NOW! You haven't a
clue... cube steak is used for many great classic dishes.

Cube Steak

1/4 cup cooking oil
1 can sliced water chestnuts drained
1 1/2 pounds cube steak
1 jar homestyle beef gravy
1 bell pepper cut into strips
chow mein noodles
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut steak into 1/4 inch strips. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add
steak, onion, green pepper, mushrooms and salt. Cook until meat is
brown, stirring constantly. Drain and add water chestnuts and gravy.
Cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve over
rice and sprinkle with chow mein noodles.

On Tue 12 Jul 2005 07:14:24p, itsjoannotjoann wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

Quoted message said:

Cube steak usually starts its life out as round steak, although other
not- so-tender cuts may be used. The old equipment that processed it
into cube steak was called a cubing machine. Today it's more commonly
known as a tenderizing machine.

Quoted message said:

Many decades ago when the cubing machine wasn't as common, folks bought
round steak and attacked it with a mallet that had deep raised diamond-
shaped or linear patterns on it. It was pounded half to death before
coating and cooking.

The first time I made country fried steak many years ago a girlfriend
gave me her recipe out of her Betty Crocker cookbook. I bought the
round steak and told my b/f what we were having. While he was taking a
shower I was pounding the hell out of that steak and believe me, it was
tender when I got through with it. When he got out of the shower he
wanted to know if I had completed the den conversion he had been
working on. He said he could hear me pounding on that steak over the
water running in the shower with the door closed.

LOL! To be sure, it's loud! I don't usually use one, preferring to have
it run through the machine, although i still have my mother's old one and
have tried it.

When I pound chicken, pork, or veal into very thin cutlets, I use a rubber
mallet that I bought at the hardware store. Even that's loud, but not
quite as loud as wood or metal.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0528-2, 07/12/2005
Tested on: 7/12/2005 7:38:42 PM
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

On Tue 12 Jul 2005 06:56:21p, wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

sf said:

[...]The cube steak looked like hamburger except it held together - so
it's a pretenderized WHAT?.

Heya, sf-

Thanks for bringing back my worst childhood food memory. My mom used
to make "cube steak" regularly. An incredibly tough round cut was
rendered 10% less tough by having been mechnically beaten until it
looked like a meat waffle, then twice as tough by being badly
overcooked, then disguised with a topping of fried onions. I always
saved it for last, since (1) by definition, you couldn't eat anything
after you finished the cube steak because it was impossible to finish
the cube steak, and (2) chewing it worked great for pulling the stuck
bits of corn out of one's teeth.

Quoted message said:

Is cube steak what you're supposed to use for this

No. Cube steak is what you're not supposed to use for anything.

Dan Masi

Had it been put through a tenderizer and cooked properly, it would have
been very tender. Blame your mother.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0528-2, 07/12/2005
Tested on: 7/12/2005 7:40:30 PM
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

sf said:

[...]The cube steak looked like hamburger except it held together
- so it's a pretenderized WHAT?.

Heya, sf-

Thanks for bringing back my worst childhood food memory. My mom used
to make "cube steak" regularly. An incredibly tough round cut was
rendered 10% less tough by having been mechnically beaten until it
looked like a meat waffle, then twice as tough by being badly
overcooked, then disguised with a topping of fried onions. I always
saved it for last, since (1) by definition, you couldn't eat anything
after you finished the cube steak because it was impossible to finish
the cube steak, and (2) chewing it worked great for pulling the stuck
bits of corn out of one's teeth.

Quoted message said:

Is cube steak what you're supposed to use for this

No. Cube steak is what you're not supposed to use for anything.

Dan Masi

Dan Masi? Well, I'll be. . .
(I've never fixed a cube steak that was much edible by the time it got
to the table, either.)
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> 7/8/05 WeBeJammin'!

Wayne Boatwright at [email hidden] wrote on 7/12/05 10:42 PM:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The first time I made country fried steak many years ago a girlfriend
gave me her recipe out of her Betty Crocker cookbook. I bought the
round steak and told my b/f what we were having. While he was taking a
shower I was pounding the hell out of that steak and believe me, it was
tender when I got through with it. When he got out of the shower he
wanted to know if I had completed the den conversion he had been
working on. He said he could hear me pounding on that steak over the
water running in the shower with the door closed.

LOL! To be sure, it's loud! I don't usually use one, preferring to have
it run through the machine, although i still have my mother's old one and
have tried it.

When I pound chicken, pork, or veal into very thin cutlets, I use a rubber
mallet that I bought at the hardware store. Even that's loud, but not
quite as loud as wood or metal.

Cube steak can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Made correctly--that is, seasoned well and cooked very quickly over high
heat until no more than medium-well (it only takes 4-5 minutes to cook a
cube steak), it can be quite delicious. It goes on sale regularly here for
about $3 a pound. And a pound is 4-5 steaks.

I usually season the steaks with a flavorful blend, such as a Montreal
Steak, or just salt, pepper and garlic--whatever you like on beef--and let
it sit while I sauté a bunch of onions until caramelized (add mushrooms if
you are so inclined, I do if I have'em). I take the onions out of the
frying pan, make sure my side dishes are nearly ready--and then I add a
tablespoon or so of margarine or oil (canola, corn, olive, whatever is
handy) to the skillet and just sear the meat on both sides. Like I said, 2-3
minutes on the first side, flip'em, another minute or 2 on the other. Remove
from the pan and hold aside. Then I either just serve it with the sauteed
onions, or I'll add back the onions, add a big splash of worcestershire, a
smaller splash of red wine or vinegar to deglaze, some water or if I have
beef broth, great, if not--water is fine--bring it to a boil, lower the heat
and add the meat back to the pan, letting the juices reduce by half. A pat
of butter will smooth out the sauce, if you like. Add some crushed black
pepper and you're ready to go.

You have a very inexpensive steak with a very elegant fancy pan
sauce--served with mashed potatoes or rice and it's a very quick, very
affordable weeknight meal. And it eats a lot fancier than its price and ease
of prep would indicate.

Curly Sue said:

On 13 Jul 2005 03:17:50 +0200, Wayne Boatwright

Quoted message said:

When I'm going to make chicken fried steak I always pick out the round
steak I want, then take it to someone in the meat department and ask them
to run it through the tenderizer.

<snip>

You need a Volvo.

Only Tammy and I understand that one - and it's CHICKEN, not beef.

LOLOL

Wayne Boatwright said:

Cube steak usually starts its life out as round steak, although other not-
so-tender cuts may be used. The old equipment that processed it into cube
steak was called a cubing machine. Today it's more commonly known as a
tenderizing machine. The meat is passed through the machine where dozens
or hundreds of tiny knives pierce and cut through the meat at close
intervals. Voila! Cube Steak! More recently I've noticed in the
supermarket that pork steaks and even turkey meat are being sold as
tenderized cuts, having made the same pass through the same type of
equipment.

Chicken fried steak, or country fried steak, is usually made from cube
steak that has been coated in some fashion from as simple as a seasoned
flour to dips into milk and egg, crumbs, etc.

Many decades ago when the cubing machine wasn't as common, folks bought
round steak and attacked it with a mallet that had deep raised diamond-
shaped or linear patterns on it. It was pounded half to death before
coating and cooking.

It certainly did... thanks, Wayne!