Growing up with a Spanish mother and a Mexican father, there weren’t many hearty meat and potato dishes to grace our table while growing up. Milk at the dinner table was taboo to say much of anything else.
After meeting my husband, an Iowa country boy through and through, things were about to change.
He grew up on an acreage, next door to his grandfather’s farm and a pasture filled with cows. A half side of beef filled their deep freeze year after year.
For him, eating meat and potatoes was all he knew.
Can you talk about culture clash?
I was under the impression that everyone used olive oil and that sauteing vegetables with garlic was the norm.
He was under the impression that everyone had an unending supply of meat from their backyard in the deep freeze downstairs.
It makes me laugh to just think about how far we have come and how we have both learned to embrace one anothers culture.
I have since learned many Mid-Western country staples from my mother in-law that keeps my man happy amidst the abundance of vegetables (that I make him eat) during this time of year.
This is my husband’s absolute favorite meal.
Minute Steak.
Minute steak is cut from the sirloin or round steak and pounded very thin. Usually 1/4″ thick and is tender from the pounding.
Since it’s been pounded it can be cooked quickly, perfect for this busy time of year. When prepared properly, this cut is tender and can be eaten with a fork.
This recipe is from my mother in law, however, I’ve given it the real food touch.
Minute Steak for the All American Man
Minute Steak is the cut of beef but that’s what we call it here. Pan fried steak doused with a homemade sauce of onions and beef broth then baked until cooked through. A simple, easy and nourishing dish that will please any man… or woman 😉
Ingredients:
- 4 cuts of minute steak (you can use cubed steak, however, it is from another cut of the animal)
- 2 eggs, mixed
- flour to coat
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced thinly
- 2 cups beef broth, preferably homemade
- 2 tbls flour
- salt and pepper
Method:
1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on each minute steak.
2. Douse each minute steak in eggs then flour and pan fry in the olive oil until browned on each side. 3-4 minutes per side.
3. Once fried, set aside in a baking dish.
4. In the same cast iron pan or skillet that you used to fry the minute steak, saute the onions for 5 minutes or so picking up all of the wonderful bits and pieces left from the steak. Saute until the onions begin to cook through but do not allow to go completely transparent. Add 2 cups beef broth and 2 tbls of flour, stir well. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour the onion mixture over the fried minute steak and bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and a tall glass of cold milk. After all, that’s how they do it in the country.
Buen Provecho!
This recipe is very similar to how we made minute steak growing up in Mississippi. Although the mashed potatoes were often piled on top of the steak, THEN the gravy on top of that. And my mamaw would make homemade buttermilk biscuits to go with.
Love your photos!
Darlene
This meal smells WONDERFUL everytime Gabe brings it to the office for his lunch…. even as a reheated leftover (I can’t even try to imagine how fantastic it smells coming straight from the oven). We are all always jealous! I’m so glad you posted the receipe!!!
Yep, this is definitely an Iowa meal! My husband would love this, as of course every meal has to have meat:)
Minute steak was a staple for my family growing up but I’ve never made it for my kids. I’ll try it now!
OH SO TASTY…I could eat it everyday.
They look very much like “milanesas” which are a staple dish in Argentina. At home we cook them in an oiled pan in the oven. They are also great with one or two fried eggs on top (milanesa a caballo) or with a layer of tomato sauce, cheese and ham (milanesa napolitana) which are added a few minutes before they’re cooked and left in the oven until the cheese melts.
The kids love it to Kristy!!
Andi – yes, it’s good!! Gabe of course finishes it off with Lawry’s salt ;D
Thanks for the recipe. I guess non-american man also like steaks. 🙂
Love the gravy with the beer.
Hugs.
Mely
Thanks Mely!! xoxo!!
Seems the clash of cultures has turned out ridiculously well – and would devour this steak easily.
Chicken fried steak – I make it with venison, and my mom made it back in the old country as well, actually (with beef). Meat and potatoes is what I grew up with and one of the only 3 types of dishes that I serve (which aren’t soups) – others being pasta and meat and, very rarely, rice and meat. I love it that way – all food ultra-hearty, and kids drink a glass of milk at every meal – it’s really either milk or kombucha for them, since pop and juice don’t come here (except homemade juice). Azerbaijani foods can be lighter, but I don’t enjoy those as much.
My kombucha is very sweet and mild though.
Oh the simplicity right? Looks delicious~!
Yahoo, buckaroo!!! There are several minute steaks in the freezer that are going to go “al Americano” tonight… Though raised in California and Italy (but love Mexican, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, etc., etc. recipes) I embrace the traditional American kitchen quite often, I tend to see it as even exotic. For minute steaks I go to a local Hispanic market for fajita steaks (and other prime meats) being they are not only thin, inexpensive but tender. Gracias for directing me to the fajita steaks in the freezer, I’m so looking forward to tonight’s “Yankee” dinner.
I love the American kitchen as well. It is even exotic, love that!! Have a great dinner!
Now this is a meal I can really sink my teeth into! 🙂
My husband (also an Iowa country kid) has had a long fascination with minute steak I have never understood. Now you have given him legitimacy!
I’ve never rolled mine in flour, though. I usually just pan fry it (with seasonings on top), then do an onion/mushroom saute.
I must confess — after denying it for years — sometimes a good minute steak really hits the spot.
Making this with venison tonight…
I’m always looking for venison recipes. Will this recipe work with venison cutlets? Or will the extra time in the oven toughen the meat?
Anne, since it will be baked in quite a bit of the onion sauce, it should remain tender as long as the venison was first pounded, tenderizing it. However, it would work nicely in a braise as well. Instead of finishing it in the oven, place it in a dutch oven on the stovetop over low heat. I’m sure it would turn out fantastic!
@Anne, may I share how I do it? We don’t do cutlets though because of the CWD in the area, we debone them completely. Anyhow, here we go: . There is no braising or baking in this case though.
Thanks ladies! Can’t wait to try these recipes. (The cutlets we get are already tenderized)
As a meat lover, this looks wonderful. I would normally prefer my steak to be grilled as it is but would make an exception for a minute steak done this way with that wonderful onion sauce. Thanks for sharing!
I made the minute steak recipe twice, once your way which was really delicious and then a more Latin version using a sliced green bell pepper and a large sliced jalapeno pepper which also was good. Regardless of which recipe used this is a great recipe, your way I shall make for Anglo friends, my way with the peppers will be for my ethnic friends. The gravy poured over the potatoes is a guilty pleasure, just delicious. And yes, a large glass of icy milk is the perfect beverage to have with this recipe. Thanks!!!
HAM BALLS! Yum. I distinctly remember wandering from butcher to butcher on the upper East Side when I lived in New York, asking if they’d sell me any ground ham to make ham balls or ham loaf. They looked at me like I was crazy….or from Iowa!
That is so funny Wini. I just peeked over at your site. Congratulations on the book release. I plan on heading out to your book signing on Friday at Kitchen Collage. I’m looking forward to meeting you.
Thanks! I look forward to meeting you, too!
Oh if you are going to go Midwest you have to include Jell-o Salads. 🙂
I know this is an older post, but this is our family’s favorite meal!! We buy 1/2 steer in the summer/fall and unfortunately run out of our minute steak cuts very quickly, so I have been experimenting with other cuts-I tried to tenderize round steak cuts tonight, hoping it turns out! Thanks for the great recipe:)
That’s great to hear, Steph! Yes, if we don’t have minute steaks, I pound out sirloins until they’re really thin. It turns out great!
Awesome recipe…My mother in law called this swiss steak…I added a splash of red wine to the gravy!
If I added mushrooms to the gravy and made it with veal I’m thinking it would be just like the dish served at a local steak restaurant.
Diana, I used this recipe tonight on both minute steaks and pork cutlets. I am a beef girl, my husband is a pork kinda guy. Both meats came out fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing this simple and super yummy recipe. I am positive I will use again and again.
Babette Russell
I’m glad to hear that, Babette!
Lets make this even easier! Instead of sauted onions use a can of French onion soup. I add a little Worcestershire for taste and a couple bay leaves. If you like a thicker gravy add a little flour to the sauce to thicken it. Wonderful taste and as simple as can be!!
This is the second time I am making this. My husband made his and I made this recipe and hands down, we both liked this one much better. Thank you for sharing. <3
No problem 😀
I have cooked many of minute steak but manly bread fry an serve like chicken fried steak with potato’s an green beans never have i made it smothered like this i have been through culinary school an am shocked i never thought to do this they are great tender an juicy best minute steak yet thanks for sharing
from bradley summers 🙂
I made this tonight, added mushrooms and it was delish!
Thanks for sharing!
Oh, boy, that sounds good!!!!!!! I’ve got to try it. My husband will LOVE it, I know–and me too! Thanks for sharing.
It’s amazing!!
My new favorite recipe!!!