Cube Steak in Gravy

I always found meals that are absolutely fabulous are usually the most difficult to prepare.  I wanted to take this all time classic recipe and give it my spin.  Often people seem a little bit intimidated when making homemade gravy.  But after making this recipe, I'm pretty sure anyone who give this a try will master making homemade gravy.

The key to making gravy that is perfectly brown and smooth, is making sure the pan has enough fat and not too much flour is in the pan.  Having too much flour will clump up in the pan and the flour will not brown properly.  Having too much oil will cause the gravy to be extremely greasy.

You may notice in the directions, there are two batches of gravy made.  The reason for this is to gather the flavor from the first pan that the steaks were cooked in, and combining it all together.  Due to the size of the skillet, all of the gravy can not be made in the skillet at one time due to the quantity of gravy being made.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 TBSP butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt

6 medium cube steaks
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour flour
3/4 TSP black pepper
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 TSP cayenne pepper (optional)

1/4 cup canola oil

6 TBSP of butter divided (this will be used for the roux)
3/4 cups of flour (divided).
1 beef bullion cube
3 cups of water (divided)
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1 1/2 sticks of celery thinly sliced

Additional salt and pepper to taste

Extra:
Salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

1. Remove the steaks from the pack and place them onto a plate and allow them to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.  Allowing the steaks to come to room temperature will prevent the steaks from being tough and not cooking properly.

2.  In a medium skillet on a high flame, heat together 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil and 1/2 TBSP butter.  Once the oil and butter are hot add the onions lowering the heat to medium and cook the onions until they've browned slightly.  Once slightly browned, add 1/4 TSP salt.  Cook until the onions are completely brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

3.  Cover a cutting board with cling wrap, placing the steak on top and place another piece of cling wrap on top.  Using a meat mallet or a heavy spoon, pound the meat until it's slightly thin.  Do not over beat the meat, this will cause your meat to crumble and fall apart.

4.  In a bowl combine together the flour, 3/4 TSP black pepper, 1/2 TSP salt and 1/2 TSP cayenne pepper.

5.  Lightly sprinkle both sides of the steaks with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

6.  Dredge the steaks into the flour, shaking off any excess flour and place the steaks onto a plate.

7.  In a 10 inch skillet heat 1/4 cup canola oil on medium flame.  Add the steaks 2 at a time into the pan, cooking until browned on both sides (3 to 4 minutes on both sides)  Remove from the skillet and cook the remaining steaks the same way.  The steaks will not be done, they will finish cooking in the gravy.

Gravy 

1.  In the skillet, add 2 1/2 - 4 tablespoons of flour to the remaining oil thats in the pan.  If the roux is too oily, add a little more flour.  Cook until the roux is brown, about 4 minutes.

2.  Now whisk in 1 cup of water, this will deglaze the pan and give all the flavor the gravy deserves.  Whisk in a 1/4 tsp of salt then remove from the heat and set aside.  This will be added to the second batch of gravy.

3.  In a medium sauce pan melt 4 TBSP unsalted butter, then stir in 1/2 cup all purpose flour.  Cook until the gravy has browned about 4 minutes.  If your roux is too dry add more butter, a tablespoon at a time.  Slowly whisk in 2 1/4 cups of water.  Whisk until smooth, then add the previous batch of gravy, whisking all together.  Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings.  Add 1 beef bullion cube and whisk until it has completely dissolved.  If the gravy is too thick add a couple of more tablespoons of water.

4.  Add the cooked onions, peppers and celery to the gravy.  Bring to a soft boil then add the steaks to the gravy.  Reduce the flame to medium and cook for 20 minutes, allowing the steaks to fully cook and to become tender.