Steak Ingredients:
- Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cacao powder
- 8 pieces cubed steak
- 3 slices thick bacon
- About 3/4 cup canola oil
Steak Directions:
- The day before, if you bought cube steak on sale and froze it, put it in the refrigerator to thaw at least 24 hours.
- After breakfast, on the morning you want to make this for dinner, sprinkle each piece of steak on both sides with Cavender’s and divide between two Ziploc bags, placing steak in a single layer.
- Let the steak rest in the refrigerator until you’re ready to proceed.
- Mix flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, and cacao in a medium-sized bowl.
- Divide the flour mixture between the two bags of steak and shake it around until the steak is evenly coated.
- Lay the bag on the counter, arranging the steak flat and let it sit in the flour mixture for 30 minutes or so.
- Heat a large, heavy cast iron skillet to medium-high.
- Fry bacon, then remove bacon and store for another use. Leave the grease in the pan.
- Add canola oil to the skillet and heat to medium-high.
- Brown the steaks, no more than 3 at a time, about five minutes on each side. Don’t crowd them in the pan.
- Remove the steaks to a four-quart cast iron dutch oven. You can use a Crock Pot if you like.*
- Preheat oven to 250.
*Note: If your frying pan holds at least 3 quarts and you have a tight fitting lid, you can put the steak on a plate and add it back to the frying pan later.
Gravy Ingredients:
- Pan Drippings
- 3/4 cup of the leftover flour/spice mixture
- 2 cups good unsalted beef broth
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
Gravy Directions:
- There should be about 1/2 cup of drippings left in the pan at this point. Leave them there. Don’t scrape out the browned bits of flour—that’s the best part.
- Add the reserved flour mixture, stir with a wooden spoon, and brown, scrapping up the bits stuck on the pan.
- Whisk in beef broth, scraping bottom and sides of the pan.
- When the mixture is smooth and bubbly, add the half & half, cream, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard.
- Return to a simmer. As the gravy thickens, taste it. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired.
- Pour gravy over steak in Dutch oven. Lift the steaks to let the gravy run between them, but don’t stir. Spoon gravy over the steaks on top if necessary.
- In a Dutch Oven, cook 4-5 hours at 250 degrees. If using a Crock Pot, cook 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.
- The steaks should be falling apart tender, and you’ll want mashed potatoes and biscuits with the gravy.