Fried Round Steak Is the Definition of Comfort Food (2024)

You’re just going to have to trust me on this one.

I’ve been living in the country, among picky kids and cowboys, for almost fourteen years. During that fourteen years, I have accumulated valuable knowledge about what people in my world will, and will not, eat.

They will not, for instance, eat poached Chilean sea bass. I can’t close my eyes and wish for something to be so that isn’t so. It just isn’t going to happen.

They will, 100% of the time and without hesitation, however, eat fried round steak.

(And I’ll let you in on a little secret: I will, too.)

Fried round steak is a magical delight: simple, easy to whip up in about 10 to 15 minutes, and so flavorful, you can’t even believe what you’re eating is a fried up piece of cheap beef. It tastes so darn good, and you can eat it fresh out of the skillet with a potato side dish, or smashed between two pieces of white bread, or (probably my favorite application) cold out of the fridge the next day.

Just give it a try.

Just once.

You’ll see what I mean.

This is how the meat is sold in my local grocery store. It’s called “Cube Steak” here.

Basically, what you need is tenderized round steak that’s been extra-tenderized and cut into neat, squarish pieces.

If you store doesn’t sell this, you can buy regular round steak, then pound it yourself using the pointy, spiked side of a mallet.

My mom used to do it that way.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, then add in enough canola oil to completely cover the surface of the pan.

Grab a dish or pie plate and add a cup or so of flour, some seasoned salt (whatever kind you like), and plenty of ground black pepper.

Stir it with a fork, assess the pepper content…

Then dump in more pepper.

Now, season both sides of the meat! Just salt and pepper will do.

Now, one by one, throw the pieces of seasoned steak into the flour mixture.

Turn it over…

Then throw more of the flour mixture over the top and pat-pat-pat with the fork in an effort to get as much flour stuck to the surface of the meat as you can.

Note that I do not want to take an egg wash/heavy breading approach here. I show that chicken fried steak method in my cookbook, and it’s delicious. But the beauty of this is the sheer simplicity—no worrying about mixing up eggs and milk—and a lighter texture and taste.

That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

Remove the meat…

Put it on a plate…

…And repeat until all the meat is coated in the flour mixture.

The oil in the pan is nice and hot now, so add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter at the last minute. This’ll give the steak a little more of a golden-brown color…

And, well, it’s butter. You don’t always have to have a reason.

When the butter’s melted, add 3 to 4 pieces of steak. It should sizzle right away and continue sizzling as it fries.

If it doesn’t sizzle, the oil’s not hot enough.

Go ahead and dump any excess flour from the plate (not the pie pan—the plate where the coated pieces of steak sat) onto the pieces of steak.

Then let them cook until the sides start to appear nice and golden. This’ll take about two minutes.

Then flip ’em on over!

Allow them to cook on the other side for about a minute.

You can’t know how good this smells! Round steak smells delicious when it’s cooking.

Believe me. I know these things.

When they’re done, remove the steaks from the pan and place them on a paper towel-lined plate so the excess oil will drain.

Feel free to dab the tops with a paper towel, too, if you’re a health nut.

And if you are, you’re probably not making this anyway.

Now, you can just serve these as they are on a plate with something like Smashed Potatoes…

Crash Hot Potatoes…

Or Potatoes au Gratin. (This dish is pronounced Potatoes awww grawwwt’n.)

But let me show you my favorite way to eat fried round steak.

Brace yourselves. It’s about to get really, really frightening here.

White sandwich bread. Not wheat bread. Not rye. Not pumpernickel. White. Soft. Mushy. Spread with mayonnaise.

You could spread the bread with Miracle Whip. But if you do, please don’t tell me about it.

For Miracle Whip is from Lucifer.

Sprinkle with plenty of black pepper.

Black pepper is a staple of everyday cooking in this part of the country. Ain’t no two ways about it.

Next comes the fried steak. (About 30 minutes has passed since I removed it from the pan because Marlboro Man forced me to go running with him and I temporarily died. But this is so much better if it’s fresh out of the pan.)

Then just smash the other slice of bread onto the top.

And when I say smash, I mean really press it in there.

The slice it down the middle, eat it…

And feel completely at peace, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

That’s what comfort food is all about.

Enjoy!