Southern Steak and Milk Gravy
My mother says the first time she remembered having this was when she was just a little girl. She was at her grandparent’s house and her grandfather asked her grandmother if he went and got some steak, would she make steak and gravy? Money was very scarce in those days and it was big news that her grandfather was going to get a special cut of meat for their meal!
He left and came back with a paper wrapped package of round steak. Back in the day they didn’t have cubed steak. My great grandmother opened the package and got a saucer out of the cabinet. My mother watched intently as Lela turned the saucer on its side and proceeded to give the meat a good and thorough beating to tenderize it. She then dipped both sides in flour and put it back on the counter where she beat it with the edge of the saucer again before finally cooking it just as I am going to do in this tutorial.
My mother said it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted and from then on she knew exactly how to make steak and gravy.
I know my saucers are thankful that we can get cubed steak these days though…
Ingredients
- 4 Pieces Cubed Steak
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Milk
Instructions
- Place enough oil in a pan to just coat the bottom, put that on medium heat while you prepare your steak. In a bowl, place 1 C flour and add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/ 4 tsp pepper (more if you prefer). Stir that up. Dip each piece of steak into flour on both sides to get it coated well. Place each piece of steak in pan and cook until good and browned on both sides. Remove steak to a plate while you make your gravy.
- Place about 1/4 C flour into skillet with meat drippings. Add a little more salt and pepper and stir this over medium heat until the flour is slightly browned (just a few minutes). Slowly pour in 1 1/2 Cups of milk, stirring constantly. Continue stirring, with a wire whisk to help with lumps, over low heat until thickened and there are no lumps. This will happen rather quickly. Add a little more milk if you prefer thinner gravy. Return steak to the pan and turn to coat with gravy on both sides.
- Serve steak and gravy together in a bowl or serve gravy on the side to go with Mashed potatoes.
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Sep 10 2008. Filed under FEATURED Southern Favorites!, Main Course, Southern Classics.
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I found your site when I bought cubed steak for the first time, and had to figure out what to do with it. Harris Teeter has wonderful, tender Angus cubed steak, which was perfect for this recipe. I made it last night, and the only thing I did differently was to drain off some of the oil after frying the steak, and to add a bit of chicken stock while browning the flour.
I let the steaks rest on paper towels to absorb some of the oil, so I didn’t give myself heartburn (or get fatter). I managed to get my gravy the same color as yours, although it wasn’t as smooth as yours looks. That just means I need more practice. This is a winner!
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Mitch!! Keep practicing and yours will be just as smooth!
I forgot to thank you for posting this before I commented. My Wife’s Grandma has the most God-Like Southern Steak and I plan I cooking up some tomorrow for us since the were BOGO at the Teeter.
the = they
Heya, Mitch, just a friendly tip. The key to preventing a lumpy gravy is to make sure you add your liquid at a very cold state. This literally prevents lumping so much that I can make gravy by mixing with a wooden spoon. I hope this helps.
I should have mentioned adding cold liquid to the hot rue. I made it sound like everything should be cold :X
This recipe was delicious!
This is how I cook cubed steak, but I add just a touch of thyme to my flour mixture!!! So yummy!!!
I have never made cube steak before and I did a quick search on Google to find a recipe while I was at the store to see how to make it.. I didn’t see your recipe until I got home so I am going to do some like this and some the other way I found which involves baking it in the oven for 3 hours with golden mushroom, button mushrooms, lipton onion soup mix and cooking wine
I will see which the family prefers!!
Let me know how it goes Winona!
Great recipe but too many pages to print out, hurgh!
That’s why I just use the little print recipe button at the bottom, it makes it much easier to print out when you’re just printing one page.
Hope this helps! and Hurgh! sounds like a fun battle cry. I’m sure if I yell it loud enough folks would clear a path for me wherever I went!
My girlfriend is working late so I’m gonna surprise her
She is going to love you even more Doug!! What a great thing to surprise her with!!
Your recipe won hands down!! I am making it again tonight
Oh my goodness, thank you so much!! I am so glad to hear that you liked it
This is my new favorite site. Thank you so much for displaying step-by-step. My family moved to the north when I was very young and they didn’t want anyone to know that we were from Kentucky, so my southern -cooking education was very limited. Looks like everything I”ve missed, is right here. Thank you, again.
So I’m pretty new to cooking and this sounds yummy. I really wanna try this tonight for my bf and his dad so can you tell me about how long does this whole process take? I wanna have a hot meal when they get home so I don’t wanna start it to soon. Help!!
I would start about half an hour before supper and you’ll have plenty of time
what a treat you are!! Wish we were related!
Aweee that’s sweet : ) Ty so much I hope it all turns out well. Wish me luck!
Yay it was a hit they loved every bit of it and I do believe I earned extra brownie points. Thank you for this recipe : )
WoooHooo, extra brownie points are ALWAYS a plus!!
This is how I cook “Chicken Fried Steak”. Only, I bread the meat twice and have more of a crust on it and make thicker gravy to go over it and the mashed potatoes. My daughter’s favorite meal along with having to have corn-on-cob, broccoli w/ cheese and fried okra with it.
Yummmmm, now I am hungry!
Just like my grandma taught me! But we use evaporated milk. Cheaper when feeding us 5 grandkids, But I still use it guess when you learn it one way you stick with it. Love your site and I have shared it with many friends. Chicken planks tonight!
Thank you so much Donna!!! I am so glad you are enjoying the site enough to share it!!
An old, all time favoite at my house. … Always so yummy!
I love your page .
Thank you Jennifer!!!
My mother made hambuger patties ( about the size of a flattened meatball ) with onion gravy the same way…we called it smothered as she let the meat steep in the gravy for awhile before serving…yummmmy…
Thank YOU Christy Jordan! I bookmarked your recipe, made it a few weeks ago but not enough gravy (too thick), on my part!! Tonight I looked through measurements, still didn’t measure (usually don’t), BUT added more milk and YUUUUUUUUMMMMYYYY! Enough (doubled) for Hubby to have home-cooked lunch tomorrow and first come, first serve at home
! Awesome, 5 stars, 2 thumbs up!!!
I am so glad to hear you liked the recipe Renee!!
This is almost like mine but I shake the salt and pepper directly on the steaks. I use milk or water if I don’t have milk on hand. But I turn the fire down and simmer mine in the gravy. Cut a piece of the steak to see how tender it is. then simmer accordingly. Sometimes I cook it in the oven 30-45 minutes. I’m going to keep this recipe because I’ve never written mine down either. Thanks for saving me the time.
This is the way I always cook deer meat. Sliced back-strap, tenderloins, and steaks cut from the deer ham are most delicious cooked this way! I always pound them a little to thin them out and tinderize them too. This is the first time ever to see a recipe for it. It is just one of those things I just throw together. A friend cooks sliced wild turkey breast and pork tenderloins the same way. Guess chicken breast would work too if you pounded them out thin!
Yum Yum, guess what’s for supper tonight! Hubby & sons says “Thanks Christy!”.
This is the way my mom always made her,s but mine never taste as good as i remember her,s . Im going to try again today .
This is the way I make all of my gravies be they beef, pork or chicken. But my recipe has been just in my head for the 40 yrs I’ve been cooking. So I’ve saved this to my ZipList for the next time I’m asked for the recipe. It’ll be so much easier to just print it out for whomever.
ZipList is just great. I’ve been using it now for a few months. I think this site actually introduced me to it. Thanks for that.
Hey Christy, This is one of my favorites too, but I always have trouble when I cook it. One side of the steak always seems to “stick” to the pan. What am I doing wrong? Thank you for helping us all to be better cooks and look good to our families! Patricia
In the mid 60s when i began cooking as a newlywed, cubed steaks were a staple…UNTIL I was hacking away at my steak with the saucer, as my mom had, and the next minute I was trying to dig shards of pottery out of my steaks! Realised these steaks were “toast” and didn’t make them again for a long while. An expensive mistake!
Hi Christy, I am 77 years old, and when I was a little girl my mom beat the steak with a saucer to tenderize. And made wonderful gravy using canned milk. Love your recipes. You should have your own television show, with your wit and great recipes.I enjoy your website. God Bless, Ruth
Christie, we always called it “Cream Gravy”. We use evaporated milk mixed half milk and half water. This makes a wonderful Breakfast gravy. Fry up some bacon or sausage, then make your gravy in same pan. All you need is a hot biscuit and a good cup go coffee.
Up North in Pa., we called this Flour”Flr” gravy. Love it all my life.
sure looks good will have to try this one. thanks/
My husband loves this steak with mashed taters, gravey and peas.
I had trouble ,asking a nice gravy. Did not have enough drippings. I used a Teflon costed pan. Could that be the problem?
This recipe is amazing! Thank you for posting!
I am so glad to hear you liked it Hollie!