Asian Cube Steak (Printable)

Tender cube steak seared with soy, ginger, and sesame in a quick Asian-inspired skillet meal.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 4 cube steaks (about 1.1 lb total)

→ Marinade

02 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
04 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
05 - 1 tablespoon honey
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Vegetables

10 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
11 - 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
12 - 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)

→ Other

13 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
14 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

# Steps:

01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, and black pepper until well combined.
02 - Place the cube steaks in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the steaks, turning to coat evenly. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator for deeper flavor.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade, reserving the liquid. Sear the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes per side until nicely browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
04 - Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same skillet. Sauté the sliced onion and bell pepper for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized.
05 - Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet and bring to a simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Return the steaks to the pan and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, turning to coat evenly with the sauce and vegetables.
06 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice or sautéed greens.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The marinade does all the heavy lifting, turning an inexpensive cut of meat into something that tastes like you spent hours planning it.
  • It pairs beautifully with plain steamed rice, which means you can keep sides effortless and still feel like you made a complete restaurant quality meal.
02 -
  • Do not skip scraping up the fond from the bottom of the pan when you add the marinade back in, that is where half the flavor lives.
  • Cube steak cooks fast and can toughen if you go much beyond 3 minutes per side, so watch it closely and pull it the moment it browns.
03 -
  • Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 10 minutes after marinating so they sear more evenly instead of steaming from being ice cold.
  • If you want a thicker sauce, stir a half teaspoon of cornstarch into the reserved marinade before adding it to the pan.

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