Introducing your next one-pan dinner favorite: Pork Cube Steak
If you’re tired of meat and potatoes, try this warm, comforting meal that is on the table in less than 45 minutes. You may be less familiar with the pork variety of cube steak than its cousin, beef cube steak, but not for long. Pork Cube Steak is a lean, economical, easy one-pan dish that is a nice spin on your typical comfort food. No matter the meat, “cube steak” refers to the mechanical tenderizing of meat so that once you buy it, it’s ready to hit the pan. In most cases, the butcher’s tenderizing makes little dimples in the meat, as seen in the pics here. The result is fork-tender meat that goes amazingly well with gravy. With pork generally being leaner and less expensive than beef, Pork Cubed Steak offers a budget-friendly, lean meal in a matter of minutes.
Before you take your first bite of Pork Cube Steak, your nose will tell you it’s good – the aroma from the seasoning and gravy fills your kitchen as you prepare it. That first bite, though. Super tender meat and the hearty, home-cooked flavor of the seasoned pork and gravy filled with onions and mushrooms all work together to make a nourishing, comforting dish. If you think of pork as chewy, this dish will change your mind. The pork is pre-tenderized and cut thin, so the fast cooking time is all it needs, and the rest, as they say, is gravy. The gravy is hearty without being heavy and complements the meat perfectly.
Ingredients
- 2 – 4 pork cube steaks
- 2 Tbsp pot roast seasoning
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 small onion halved and sliced
- 1 large clove garlic crushed
- 8 oz button mushrooms sliced
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small bunch parsley
How to Make Pork Cube Steak
Step 1: Sprinkle the pot roast seasoning over the cube steaks to coat them all over.
Step 2: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle in the olive oil and then carefully place the cube steaks in. Sear the steaks on either side for 2 minutes until they are browned.
Step 3: Remove the steaks from the skillet and add the butter, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and thyme. Sauté for 5 – 8 minutes until they are cooked.
Step 4: Once the vegetables are cooked sprinkle the flour over it all, then pour in the Worcestershire sauce and slowly add the half and half and let it bubble away, stirring as it goes. It will start to thicken up. You can taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed.
Step 5: Add the seared cube steaks back into the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 6: Sprinkle the parsley over the dish and serve.
FAQs & Tips
This meal comes together quickly, so it’s best enjoyed right after cooking. If you have leftovers, they can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If freezing, I’d recommend storing the meat separate from the gravy.
When searing the pork steaks, you want to turn on the vent over your stove and get the oil nice and hot – it should be shimmering but not yet smoking. Listen for the sizzle when the first pork steak hits the pan – if no sizzle, give the oil another minute before adding the rest of the pork. The key to searing a piece of meat is the quick cook time at a relatively high heat. It seals in the juices and is part of how the meat stays tender.
In Step 3, where you remove the pork steaks from the skillet and start prepping the gravy, be sure to use some foil to tent the meat so it stays warm. Using foil like this means the pork maintains its temperature and stays nice and juicy — you don’t want it to dry out while you’re cooking the rest of the dish!
If you’re feeling adventurous, try using cremini or baby portobello mushrooms instead of the standard button (or white) ones called for in the recipe. The gravy will take on the flavors of whatever mushrooms you use. If you’re not a mushroom fan at all, just omit.
If your half and half is coming straight from the refrigerator, it may curdle when it hits the hot skillet. To avoid this, do two things. Let the half and half come to room temperature, either through sitting it out on the counter for about 30 minutes beforehand, or by gently microwaving it at half power until it’s not as cold. Another way to help the gravy come together without curdling is to constantly stir as you are adding the half and half.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to enjoy Pork Cube Steak is just simple white rice and a steamed green veggie like fresh spinach. Nothing fancy, but the rice soaks up the gravy perfectly, and the spinach adds a bit of green and fresh flavor to my plate. Other ways to enjoy Pork Cube Steak would be with mashed potatoes or even a hearty grain like quinoa.
Pork Cube Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 – 4 pork cube steaks
- 2 Tbsp pot roast seasoning
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 small onion halved and sliced
- 1 large clove garlic crushed
- 8 oz button mushrooms sliced
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- salt and pepper
- 1 small bunch parsley
Instructions
- Sprinkle the pot roast seasoning over the cube steaks to coat them all over.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle in the olive oil and then carefully place the cube steaks in. Sear the steaks on either side for 2 minutes until they are browned.
- Remove the steaks from the skillet and add the butter, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and thyme. Sauté for 5 – 8 minutes until they are cooked.
- Once the vegetables are cooked sprinkle the flour over it all, then pour in the Worcestershire sauce and slowly add the half and half and let it bubble away, stirring as it goes. It will start to thicken up. You can taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Add the seared cube steaks back into the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the parsley over the dish and serve.
Nutrition
