Cube steak substitutes

The exact same meat cube steak is made from, before the machine touches it, which makes this the true substitute rather than an approximation.

Best for

chicken-fried steak, country-fried steak, smothered steak, Salisbury steak, steak and gravy

Buy a round steak, slice it into portions, lay each between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it to about a quarter inch with a mallet, rolling pin or the flat bottom of a heavy pan. The result is genuinely indistinguishable in the finished dish. Because your dents are shallower than the machine's, the breading grips slightly less, so press the coating on firmly and let it sit five minutes before frying.

A step up in quality that needs less mechanical help because it is naturally more tender.

Best for

smothered steak, steak and onions, pan-fried steak with gravy

Noticeably more tender and more beefy-tasting than cube steak, and it does not go dry as quickly, so this is the swap that makes the dish better rather than merely equal. Pound it lightly to even the thickness, not to break it down. It costs more and it will not have the pitted surface, so classic chicken-fried breading clings a little less enthusiastically.

A common and completely legitimate swap in Southern cooking, where country-fried pork is a dish in its own right.

Best for

chicken-fried steak, breaded cutlets, cream gravy dishes

Milder and slightly sweeter than beef, so a plate of country-fried pork tastes lighter and less mineral. The cream gravy carries the dish either way, so most people at the table will not object, but if you want it to read as beef, add a splash of Worcestershire or a spoonful of beef base to the gravy. Cook to 145 F.

The right answer when the cube steak in your recipe is being smothered in onion gravy rather than breaded and fried.

Best for

Salisbury steak, hamburger steak, smothered beef patties

This changes the dish from a slice of steak to a tender patty, so the chew disappears entirely and the texture becomes soft and uniform. For Salisbury steak that is arguably the traditional form anyway. Mix in an egg and a couple of tablespoons of breadcrumbs per pound so the patties hold together in the gravy. Do not use this for chicken-fried steak, where breading a loose patty falls apart.

A leaner, cheaper option that works because most cube steak recipes are really recipes about breading and gravy.

Best for

chicken-fried steak style dishes, breaded cutlets, family meals with picky eaters

Much milder and considerably leaner, so the beefy background flavor is gone and the meat can dry out fast. It is genuinely good in a crisp breading with cream gravy, which is the same dish chicken-fried steak has always been. Season the flour more aggressively with black pepper and a little poultry seasoning, and pull it off the heat at 165 F, which happens quickly at a quarter inch.

Worth naming honestly because chuck is often the only cheap beef left, but it does not want to be cooked like cube steak.

Best for

smothered steak simmered in gravy, slow-cooker steak and gravy

Chuck is full of connective tissue, and pounding it does not remove that. Fried fast, it comes out chewy and gristly. It only works if you change the method: brown it, then let it simmer covered in the gravy for 60 to 90 minutes so the collagen melts. The result is delicious but it is a braise, not a five-minute skillet dinner, so do not choose it on a weeknight.