Ahh, springtime is finally here. The bitter cold of winter has passed, and now we have... storm season. Which, for us in north Texas means heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes. But all is not lost... that only lasts until June, when the storms go away and our temperatures start averaging in triple digits. Go figure.
"Smothered" usually refers to cooking and serving meat with layers of vegetables on top; sliced onions, peppers, and/or mushrooms are most commonly used. They can be cooked faster on the stovetop or in the oven, or slower in a slow cooker (as in this recipe). Cube steaks, which are made from the tougher cuts of beef like the shoulder and mechanically tenderized (giving them their "cubed" appearance) can benefit from slower cooking making them more tender. In all cases, the juices or drippings from cooking are used to make a rich gravy that's poured on top of the meat when serving, and can also used on sides such as mashed potatoes or rice. In this version, the potatoes are cooked with the meat to make it a basic one-pot dinner.
This recipe is a bit of a "hybrid" ... I found several variations of ingredients but none by themselves made me jump up and down and say "that one!". So, I cobbled this one together using parts from those others. My taste testers say it came out pretty good, so I suppose I'll keep it around.
Adapted from "several other online recipes"
Cube steaks cooked slowly with a southern-style smothering of vegetables and flavor.
Adapted from "several other recipes"
Place the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Add the French onion soup and garlic, and mix until the potatoes are well coated. Layer half of the sliced onions and half of the sliced peppers on top of the potatoes.
Lightly season both sides of the cube steaks with ground black pepper, then lay them on top of the onions and peppers; if they overlap it's okay. Sprinkle the packet of onion soup mix on top of the steaks, then layer the remaining onions and peppers on top. Layer the mushrooms on top of the onions and peppers.
In a small bowl, combine the cream of mushroom soup and Worcestershire sauce until well blended, then pour evenly on top of the mushrooms.
Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours. At the end of cooking, remove the steaks and potatoes and set aside to keep warm. Combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then mix into the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to High and cook for 15 minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens.
To serve, place a cube steak and potatoes on a plate and "smother" with a generous amount of sauce.
Servings 6
Serving Size 1 steak + 5 oz potatoes + sauce
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.