15 November, 2015
Pressure Cooker Cube Steak and Gravy
6 T flour
Salt and pepper
2 lb cube steak, cut in 1 inch pieces
4 T Canola oil, to start
2 1/4 C water (or beef broth)
On a plastic cutting board, cut the cube steak into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a shallow dish or pie plate, add 6 tablespoons of flour and add salt and pepper to season the flour. Just eyeball it. I use a table blend of salt, pepper and garlic powder that comes already mixed. If you like a little heat, a couple of dashes of cayenne pepper wouldn’t hurt.
Mix well with a fork, or your fingers.
n a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of canola oil on medium high. While the oil is heating, place 1/3 to 1/2 of the steak pieces into the seasoned flour and coat well.
Shake off the excess flour and add to the skillet. Saute for a few minutes, just enough to brown the meat.
Using a slotted spoon or a kitchen spider, carefully remove the meat and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
Repeat with the remaining meat, in two to three batches. The purpose of doing this in batches is so the meat browns in the oil. If you crowd the skillet, the meat will steam and you won’t get the crunchy outer bits. You may need to add another tablespoon of oil between batches.
TIP: If you are using a traditional stove top pressure cooker, you can brown the meat in the pressure cooker instead of in a separate skillet. I have found that if using an electric pressure cooker, when you brown the meat using the “browning” setting, the cooker will not cook the correct amount of time.
Once all the meat is browned, add it all to the pressure cooker vessel. It’s okay to leave or add the remaining heated oil.
Sprinkle the leftover seasoned flour over the meat
Add 2 and 1/4 cups of water. I use beef broth for extra flavor.
If using an electric pressure cooker, as I do, close and lock the lid. Select the high pressure setting and set the timer for 20 minutes. Make sure the pressure regulator is on the full pressure setting. The electric cooker will begin heating and pressure will build slowly. The timer will not start running until the cooker comes to full pressure.
Note: For a traditional pressure cooker with rocker regulator, close and lock the lid and turn heat on high. Make sure the pressure regulator is on full pressure setting, if that is an option. Once the cooker comes to pressure (the rocker starts rocking!), cook for 20 minutes. So the total cook time will be similar regardless of which cooker you use.
After 20 minutes at full pressure, if using a stove top pressure cooker, release the pressure using the quick-release or cold water method. If using an electric cooker, there should be a quick-release setting on the lid. When the cooker lid unlocks, remove the lid and stir mixture.
The seasoned flour and water make a delicious “gravy” for the steak bits. Serve over rice. This recipe will serve four, unless I get to it first! And the leftovers are even better (when there are leftovers).
