What Is Beef Cubed Steak?

Beef cubed steak is a dimpled, boneless steak that is tenderized by a machine and purchased in this condition. In the culinary world, it occupies a middle position between hamburger and traditional steak cuts such as top sirloin, and is much less expensive.

History

When mechanical cubing was available in the 1930s and 1940s, the cube steak appeared in its modern form in butcher shops and grocery stores. The term "cubing" then became widely used, even when applied to non-mechanical methods of dimpling meat, such as mallets with specially shaped grooves and bladed tools that achieve a similar effect.

Cooking Advice

Raw steaks can be patted with paper towels to achieve better browning results. For pan cooking, the steaks should be cooked uncovered over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes and turned over once, if the meat is to be medium done.

Popularity

After the recent recession began, in the last quarter of 2008, cube steak sales were up nearly 10 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. Since the total amount of beef sold went up only 3 percent during this time, the popularity of cube steak has clearly skyrocketed.

References

• Beef Culinary Center: Beef Cubed Steak
• "The New York Times": Turning to Cube Steak, and Back to Childhood