Make cheap steak taste great.

This is some kind of Swiss steak variation. You can get this cheap cut of meat called "cubed steak" or they sometimes call the meat "swiss steak", or "minute steak" on the package. It's a tough cut of meat that was hit a few times with a tenderizing hammer.

Get that stuff and add salt/pepper then dredge in flour and fry in olive oil/butter until browned on both side. Removed from pan add sliced onions and saute onions. If things start sticking too much in the pan add some water. Do not over cook onions, maybe 2-3 minutes then de-glaze pan with some red wine. That's where you add about a half cup of red wine to the hot pan and scrape the pan so that all of the brown bits dissolve. If you don't have wine use water.

Transfer everything to a casserole dish or a dutch over. Add about 2-3 cups of stock, either beef or veal. I guess you could also use veg stock too. If you don't have stock dissolve 2 bullion cubes in 2 cups of water in your microwave and add to pot. You need enough stock to at least cover the meat in the pot.

Cover pot/casserole dish and cook at 350 F for about 1.5-2 hours. The meat becomes tender enough to cut with a fork. Remove meat from pot.
Add about 2 tablespoons of butter to liquid in pot.
Dissolve about 2-3 tablespoons of corn starch into half cup of water, slowly add to liquid in the pot while stirring and heating pot on stove. (If you're using a casserole dish that can't be directly heated on the stove top, then you will have to transfer the liquid to a sauce pan/pot and add the corn starch/water mixture while heating.

Bring the liquid to a boil while stirring. The liquid should start to get thick like gravy. If too thick add water or milk, if too thin add some more starch/water mixture slowly while stirring. When the liquid is as thick as you want taste and add salt/pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and add the meat again to the pot to heat the meat. Make egg noodles or boil some cubed potatoes. Serve over egg noodles, or with potatoes. Carrots go nice with this, peas and carrots or just peas.

Goes great with a good Cabernet or Merlot.

It sounds good.
May I suggest another way to fix a steak? It works with any kind of steak, as my wife has tried it with everything from Chuck Steak to Porterhouse, with delicious results. By the way, don't limit yourself to just beef steaks, as it it good with venison also.

Trim the fat from your steak and brown it in a skillet.
When browned on both sides, add apple cider and simmer until it is ALMOST as done as you want it.
Add chunks of apples with the skin on and walnuts.
Continue simmering until the apples are warm and softened.
Once in a while, she adds chopped celery a little before the apples.
She uses no seasonings, but I do add a little salt on my plate.

A general idea for cheap meats (but not cubed steak, I just use that for country fried steak)...marinate them.

McCormick makes a bunch of really good marinades (I especially like Mesquite and Montreal)....

The Foreman Grill is great for these cheaper cuts too, as it doesn't take long to cook, and so they don't get tough....

I love a chuck steak, very marbled, and add fresh cracked pepper, worcestershire sauce , will not cook beef without it, sea salt, and place my oven on broil, wait 5-7 min, and place Guldens spicy brown mustard on the top, with a baked potato, and a salad. mmmmm.


Peace to you...