These quick-cooking steaks bring comfort and a tasty dose of nostalgia
These thinly pounded steaks smothered in a rich, flavorful gravy are quick to come together. Minute-steak recipes originally used high-quality cuts of beef (most commonly sirloin) that were hand-pounded and flash-seared in a hot skillet. In some cases, the dish has evolved to include more affordable cuts of beef; here we prefer top round, bottom round, or eye round.
We found that soaking the pounded steaks in a simple baking soda solution allowed these cuts of beef to remain succulent and tender after searing. We patted the soaked steaks dry and coated them in flour, which helped absorb excess liquid and promote additional browning while searing.
True to their name, the steaks cooked through in 1 minute per side, developing a golden-brown exterior and tender interior. After setting the steaks aside to rest, we built a sauce directly in the same pan. Our savory beef and mushroom gravy recalls the classic preparation of minute steak, with the addition of shallot, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, and fresh thyme for additional brightness and complexity.
Minute Steaks with Mushroom Gravy
Serves 4
4 (6-ounce) top-round steaks, trimmed
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
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