Country Style Steak
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Country Style Steak is an old fashioned southern recipe featuring fried cube steak that's smothered in onions and white cream gravy. It's classic southern comfort food that's perfect for Sunday suppers, potluck dinners, or weekday meals!
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What is Country Style Steak?
Country-style steak turns inexpensive cubed steak into a hearty and rib-sticking dish! Some folks call it chicken-fried steak because you use the same method to fry cube steak as you do to fry chicken. Our family calls it country-style steak because, well...we live in the country!
Whatever you call it, this tender steak recipe with creamy gravy is over-the-top delicious, especially when served with garlic mashed potatoes and greasy green beans. It's a favorite meal that's also right at home with southern corn pudding and collard greens with bacon.
Country folks believe you can call yourself a true southerner when you learn to make this southern food classic!
What is Cubed Steak?
Cubed steak is made from top round steak that has been run through a meat tenderizer or grinder. It's one of the less expensive cuts of meat, which is why many folks add it to their weekday meals.
Tender country style steak is such a perfect comfort food that it can be found on restaurant menus in the south as a filling breakfast item! You can enjoy it as a hearty breakfast sandwich, or alongside sunny-side-up eggs as a brunch special.
Equipment Needed
- large cast-iron skillet
- mixing bowls
- kitchen tongs
Ingredients
This is an easy recipe with basic ingredients that can be found in your local grocery store. See quantities in recipe card.
- cube steak
- all purpose flour
- steak seasoning
- egg
- buttermilk
- garlic salt & parsley
- black pepper
- vegetable oil
- milk and half & half
How to Make Country Style Steak
Collect 3 mixing bowls: one for the flour mixture, one for the buttermilk egg mixture, and one for the steaks once they're battered.
1 - Combine 2 cups of flour with garlic salt, steak seasoning and dried parsley in the first bowl.
2 - Whisk egg and buttermilk with salt and pepper in the second bowl.
3 - Next, sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Begin dredging the cube steak by coating both sides in the flour mixture, then use tongs to dip it into the buttermilk mixture, and back again in the flour. Be sure to coat both sides of the meat. Add the coated steak to the last bowl (or plate) and repeat the process for each cube steak.
4 - Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Gently place each breaded cube steak in the hot oil in skillet and cook about 3 minutes on each side.
TOP TIP: The oil temperature should sizzle when cooking. If not, turn it up to medium-high heat.
5 - When the steaks turn golden brown, remove the meat and drain it on a paper towel-lined plate or casserole dish. Keep warm by covering with foil.
TOP TIP: Some folks use a meat mallet to pound the steaks before beginning the dredging process. My mother used this method, but I find that it makes the steaks too thin, so I usually skip this step.
Why Use A Cast Iron Skillet?
You can make this Country Style Steak recipe in a regular skillet, but cast iron holds the heat and cooks the meat much faster. A cast iron skillet is my go-to pan for making creamy country gravy.
It's really handy to brown the pieces of meat on the stove top and pop the same skillet into the oven to finish baking. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, simply use a casserole dish in its place.
How to Make Cream Gravy
1 - Sauté the sliced onion in pan drippings for about 2 minutes until transparent. Drain onions and spoon over steaks on the plate. Cover with foil while making the gravy.
2 - Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add flour to the drippings over medium-low heat. Start with 3 tablespoons of flour, and add more until the grease is absorbed.
3 - Stir the flour with drippings for about a minute to cook through, then add milk and turn up the heat to medium, stirring constantly. Stir gravy while you add garlic salt and pepper.
4 - Once gravy starts to thicken and become smooth, add half and half and stir well until it's the perfect consistency. Taste the gravy to make sure it has enough seasoning. If not, add salt and pepper to taste.
5 - Add the fried meat and onions back to the skillet and spoon gravy on top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until meat is tender. Serve in a casserole dish or straight from the skillet if desired!
Recipe FAQs
Basically, it depends on where you're from. Sometimes the gravy is more brown with country style steak...and sometimes it's not. Our family has always make white cream gravy with this dish, and we've called it 'country style' for over 50 years! Chicken fried steak is the more popular name for this recipe in Texas and Oklahoma, while Country Style Steak is what it's called in southeastern states like North Carolina and Georgia.
Yes, you can! Just follow the instructions as written, but cook in a crockpot instead of an oven. Set the timer to 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low, and make sure to check the gravy frequently. Add water if needed to avoid scorching.
You can find this dish on the breakfast menu at both IHop and Cracker Barrel. Country fried steak and eggs is a popular dish down south! This rib-sticking recipe has even shown up on a KFC menu!
Variations
- Use olive oil or canola oil as a substitute if desired.
- Alternatively cook this meal in a crock pot on the lowest setting for 6-8 hours.
- Include fresh herbs such as thyme or oregano to the gravy for extra flavor.
- Add sliced mushrooms when sautéing the onions. It tastes great!
Top Tips
- The best way to eat this dish is over white rice or mashed potatoes. It's southern comfort food at its finest!
- Add a little bit of coarse pepper for even more flavor.
- Shake off excess flour from the meat after dredging.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake in a 350ºF oven for 30 to 45 minutes until heated throughout.
What to Serve With Country Style Steak?
Serve this dish with a heaping pile of mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli or lemon butter asparagus. Now, that's some good southern cooking!
This chicken fried steak recipe also goes great with honey mustard brussels sprouts, creamy coleslaw and buttermilk drop biscuits.
Don't forget the Iced Tea Lemonade and Vintage Strawberry Cake for dessert!
Recipe Card
Country Style Steak
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
STEAK
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. garlic salt
- 1 tsp. dried steak seasoning
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Dash of salt and pepper
- 4 pieces cube steak
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 small onion sliced in rings
CREAM GRAVY
- Skillet drippings from steak
- 3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ tsp. garlic salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ½ cup half & half
Instructions
- STEAK
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Collect 3 bowls...one for the flour mixture, one for the buttermilk mixture, and one for the steaks once they're battered.
- Combine flour with garlic salt and dried steak seasoning in the first bowl.
- Whisk egg and buttermilk with salt and pepper in the second bowl.
- Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.
- Begin dredging the cube steak by coating both sides in the flour mixture, then dipping in the buttermilk mixture, and back again in the flour. Be sure to coat both sides of the meat.
- Add the breaded meat to the last bowl and repeat the process for each cube steak.
- Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet (ad) over medium-low heat.
- Gently place each breaded cube steak in the skillet and cook about 3 minutes on each side.
- When the steaks look golden brown, remove the meat and place on a plate or in a casserole dish. Keep warm by covering with foil.
- Sauté the sliced onion in skillet drippings for about 2 minutes until transparent. Drain onions and spoon over steaks in casserole dish. Cover with foil while making the gravy.
CREAM GRAVY
- Scrape the bits from the bottom of the skillet, then add flour to the drippings over medium-low heat.
- Whisk the flour with drippings for about a minute to cook through, then add milk and turn up the heat to medium, stirring constantly.
- Whisk gravy while you add garlic salt and pepper.
- Once gravy starts to thicken and become smooth, add half and half and stir well until it's the perfect consistency. Taste the gravy to make sure it has enough seasoning. If not, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the steak and onions to the skillet and smother in gravy. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until steaks are tender.
- Serve over a heaping pile of Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Notes
- Be sure to use fresh flour when making the gravy. If you make it with the flour used to dredge the meat, it can cause gravy to be lumpy.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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This was a favorite of mine as a kid too!
Can't you just taste it right now? 🙂
I've always wondered how to make Chicken Fried Steak and your instructions are perfect. Thanks for helping me learn some oldies but goodies!
I hope you like the gravy! It's a keeper!
love the way you get to increment the servings before printing the recipes! saves a lot of time!
So happy to hear that Sheryl! 🙂