March 13, 2011: Round Steak Recipe

If you’re looking for a really cheap, really easy meal to make for your family, this recipe for round steak fits the bill.

A friend of mine from Wisconsin used to request her mother make this dish every time she visited Phoenix during the winter months. I asked her to show me how to make it and it’s been a favorite of my husband’s ever since. It has to be served with homemade mashed potatoes so you can use the potato water to make the creamy gravy. In the picture below, I served the steak and potatoes with fresh green beans but the usual choice is corn.

Of course, this dish is also really fattening (isn’t all the good stuff?) in addition to being cheap and easy…. so it’s best reserved for every now and then. Here goes!

Round Steak with Pan Gravy

1 pound thinly sliced round steak
Salt and pepper to taste (or use garlic salt)
Flour
Vegetable or olive oil (the olive oil make it just a wee bit healthier)
Milk

Start preparing the meat about half an hour before you’re ready to cook dinner. Trim off all the fat and any gristly veins. Cut it into small pieces about three inches in diameter, if necessary. Place the steaks in between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound until very thin.

Lift off the top layer of plastic wrap and leave the steaks sitting on the bottom layer. Season each side of the steaks with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle enough flour over the top of the steaks to thoroughly coat; turn them over and repeat. Let the steaks rest for at least 20 minutes.

In the meantime, cook your potatoes, reserving the cooking water.

Heat a large saucepan or electric skillet to medium high. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan plus about ¼ inch. Press the flour into each steak with the palm of your hand before adding to the hot skillet. Fry three or four at a time, being sure you don’t crowd them in the pan. Fry about 2 minutes on each side (when done they will have just a bit of red juices bubbling up through the flour coating), then transfer to a plate and keep warm in the oven. Continue until all the steaks have been quickly fried and are golden brown on the outside.

Turn the heat down to medium low. Pour off the oil in the skillet, all except 2 – 3 tablespoons. Take the flour that fell off the steaks when you were preparing them and add to the hot oil in the pan. You should have enough flour to make a thick paste with the oil; add more if necessary. Fry the flour in the oil for a couple minutes then slowly pour the reserved potato water into the pan, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil (this shouldn’t take long) and cook until thickened. Just before serving, thin the gravy with a bit of milk until it is of desired consistency.

Serve the steaks with mashed potatoes and pour the gravy over all.