This week’s recipe came straight from the market. One of our customers stopped by to tell us about a dish her family has made for years, something dependable and deeply loved in her home. She tried it with our beef cubed steak, liked it so much that she came back to buy another one, and even brought us a portion of her own version to taste. It was simple, crisp, and genuinely delicious. That kind of feedback is hard to beat.
Beef cubed steak is one of those quietly useful cuts that tends to surprise people once you understand what it is and how it’s meant to be used. It begins as round steak, a hardworking, lean cut, and is mechanically tenderized by the butcher. Rather than handling that step yourself with a meat hammer, the tenderizing has already been done in a way that creates a thinner piece of beef with a textured surface. That texture helps seasoning cling, shortens cooking time, and makes cubed steak especially well suited to quick, high-heat cooking.
One of the best expressions of cubed steak is beef milanesa, a dish found throughout South America. It’s often compared to chicken-fried steak, but milanesa tends to be thinner, crisper, and brighter, finished with citrus and paired with simple sides. It’s comfort food, but not heavy, and it’s a good reminder that round cuts don’t need to be complicated to be deeply satisfying.
Crispy Milanesa Steak
Ingredients
Approximately 1 lb beef cubed steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika or mild chili powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 cup all-purpose flour
Lard, for pan-frying
Fresh lime or lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
Season the cubed steak lightly on both sides with salt and pepper.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, garlic, cumin, paprika or chili powder, oregano, fresh herbs, and a pinch of salt. Place the flour in a second shallow dish and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Dip each piece of beef into the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the flour, pressing gently so it adheres in a thick, even coating.
Heat a generous layer of lard in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Pan-fry the milanesa in batches if needed, cooking just a few minutes per side until golden, crisp, and cooked through.
Transfer briefly to paper towels or a rack, then serve hot with fresh lime or lemon squeezed over the top.
Milanesa is traditionally served simply, which is part of its appeal. White rice, black beans, and sliced avocado make a classic plate. A crisp cabbage slaw dressed with lime and olive oil keeps things fresh. For something heartier, mashed or roasted potatoes work beautifully. It’s also excellent tucked into a crusty roll or served alongside warm tortillas, refried beans, and salsa.
Cubed Steak vs. Round Steak
Round steak is lean and flavorful but benefits from thoughtful preparation. Cubed steak is round that’s already been mechanically tenderized, making it ideal for quick, high-heat cooking and breaded preparations like this one. If you want a cut that’s ready to go straight to the pan, cubed steak makes it easy; round steak gives you more flexibility depending on how you prepare it. Same cut, different treatment, different outcome.
If round steak has ever felt limiting or intimidating, cubed steak is a very approachable place to start. It cooks fast, feeds a family well, and responds beautifully to simple seasoning and good technique. It’s a reminder that even the most straightforward cuts can be deeply satisfying when used the right way.
We’ll have plenty of beef at market, including both round steak and beef cubed steak, ready for easy weeknight meals and deeper weekend cooking alike. Come early, bring a cooler, and don’t hesitate to stock up. These are the kinds of cuts that earn their place in the freezer when you actually put them to work.
Buen provecho,
Brenna & Kenny