Hmmm...so tell me what a "minute steak" is in your world...

[Julie in CA]

I live in California, and have all of my life. I was remembering yesterday how when we were kids, you could buy "Minute Steaks" in the freezer section of the grocery. They were small, oval-shaped meat patty things, individually frozen, each with a pat of butter embedded on the top. I began wondering whatever happened to those, and began to Google. I was surprised that the results showed gave me a bunch of recipes for cube steaks. Cube steaks are nothing like the Minute Steaks I'm remembering. Is it a regional thing? Have I been deprived all along? And whatever happened to the Minute Steaks I'm remembering, anyway?

 

p.s. No, the Minute Steaks weren't like Steak Ums either. :-)

[Snickerdoodle]

My father and I were talking about this very subject just the other day.

 

He called them breakfast steaks.

[Chris in VA]

I remember minute steaks as being impossibly tough, icky gray pieces of meat. Not "cook in a minute!" Very much like cube steak. Which is not like tube steak, a completely different product...:D

[Chris in VA]

Oh! Do you mean those salisbury steaks that companies like Banquet make?

[LaxMom]

I remember minute steaks as being impossibly tough, icky gray pieces of meat. Not "cook in a minute!" Very much like cube steak. Which is not like tube steak, a completely different product...:D

Yes, that's what I would think of if somebody said "minute steak". What you describe sounds like Salisbury steak. Neither of which live in my world.

[Kfamily]

My mom always called it "minute steak" but for us it is cube steak that we dip in a flour, garlic powder and pepper mix and fry until brown on both sides and served with homemade mash. potatoes and gravy. My family loves this meal.:001_smile: (and yes, it is not the healthiest but we serve with green vegetables like broc. and green beans to round it out a little)

[Janet in WA]

I grew up in the South. What we called a "minute steak" was a thin cut of steak (probably top round). Not cubed or ground beef. I see them here called "breakfast steak".

[Mabelen]

steaks are very thin fresh steaks. That's all I know. Until I started shopping there I'd never heard of minute steaks, but then again I'd never lived in the States until that point!

[Julie in CA]

Oh! Do you mean those salisbury steaks that companies like Banquet make?

Nope. These came in a small clear plastic bag, and you could see the frozen pat of butter stuck in the middle of each one.

 

For those of you who are diss'ing the salisbury steak though, have you made homemade salisbury steak? Gosh, it's a whole different thing from what Banquet makes! I have a good recipe that can be made on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the crockpot. It does use Cream of Mushroom soup, but I like it anyway. ;)

[Sputterduck]

I live in California and have never heard of a minute steak.

[Julie in CA]

I live in California and have never heard of a minute steak.

Uhm...I don't remember seeing them after about 1975 or so. Are you a youngster?

[Sputterduck]

Uhm...I don't remember seeing them after about 1975 or so. Are you a youngster?

 

I was born in 1980. :D

[Janet in WA]

 

I was born in 1980. :D

Um, in my world, that would make you a youngster.

[Dawn in OH]

In my family a "minute steak" is pieces of cube steak that has been dredged in flour, seasoned (usually with Lawry's Seasoning Salt) and fried in a bit of Crisco.

 

This is how my Grandmother, mother and I all make it. Prior to meeting me, my husband had never had this.

[Slartibartfast]

They are a very thin steak, we call them a breakfast steak around here.

[8circles]

There is no 'minute steak' in my world. I've never heard the term.

[Caitilin]

There is no 'minute steak' in my world. I've never heard the term.

 

:iagree::iagree:

[Photo Ninja]

I remember these. I remember peeling the wrappers off them and frying them in their little pat of butter. Not the best tasting things I ever ate, but my mother always had them in the freezer. I haven't thought of those for years.

[Hannah]

What we called a "minute steak" was a thin cut of steak (probably top round).

 

That's what it is here as well. It's about half a cm thick and is of a reasonable quality. My dh does not think a minute steak is "real meat" :001_smile:

[Shawna in Texas]

Were these the things that you boiled in water? We used to eat (late 70's, early 80's) what my dad called "Boily bags". I think they were called "Boil-in-bags". They had salisbury steak, turkey, and chopped beef.

[Julie in CA]

I remember these. I remember peeling the wrappers off them and frying them in their little pat of butter. Not the best tasting things I ever ate, but my mother always had them in the freezer. I haven't thought of those for years.

Finally!! Someone else who can confirm that I'm not hallucinating!

YES, that's what I remember too.

[CookieMonster]

Nope. These came in a small clear plastic bag, and you could see the frozen pat of butter stuck in the middle of each one.

 

For those of you who are diss'ing the salisbury steak though, have you made homemade salisbury steak? Gosh, it's a whole different thing from what Banquet makes! I have a good recipe that can be made on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the crockpot. It does use Cream of Mushroom soup, but I like it anyway. ;)

 

Sorry, I've never heard of the minute steaks you speak of.

 

On another note, I much prefer the Banquet frozen Salisbury steaks to anything I've been able to produce in my kitchen. But, then, I was raised on 'em.

[Katrina J]

In my part of the world a minute steak is a thinly cut piece of steak. You see them served as the key ingredient in 'steakburgers', a roadhouse (truck stop) favourite featuring a bun filled with fried onions, tomato sauce, lettuce, tomato and of course, a greasy piece of steak. 'The Lot' comes with a fried egg, beetroot and cheese as well!

[PinkInTheBlue]

Never heard or seen such a thing. Sorry :) I despise those cube steaks or whatever they call those tough nasty fried things. Who can eat such a thing when they constantly have those tough, chewy, gristly pieces in them? I love a good hamburger steak with brown gravy and grilled onions and peppers. :)

[RoughCollie]

To me, a minute steak is a cube steak.

 

I brown both sides of the meat, then add a can of Campbell's beef broth to the pan, put on a lid, lower the heat, and simmer for an hour or so.

 

The cube steaks can be cut with a fork after that. I serve it with mashed potatoes (instant) and gravy (Knorr beef gravy), and canned peas.

 

The kids love this meal. So do I, but only because it is easy and quick.

 

I make Salisbury steak with ground beef (essentially meatloaf without tomato sauce), mixed with an egg, seasonings and spices, onions, and breadcrumbs. I brown the patties, add a can of Campbell's beef broth, and simmer it until it is cooked through. Then I make the Knorr beef gravy with the pan juices, and serve it with real mashed potatoes.

Edited September 30, 2009 by RoughCollie

[Julie in CA]

On another note, I much prefer the Banquet frozen Salisbury steaks to anything I've been able to produce in my kitchen. But, then, I was raised on 'em.

Oh, but have you tried this? http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Salisbury-Steak/Detail.aspx

 

I double the gravy ingredients, and use Cream of Mushroom instead of Cream of Chicken, and I don't always use my slow cooker. Sometimes I put it in the oven instead, and sometimes I just simmer it on the stove for a while if I'm in a real hurry. It's everything I always wanted Banquet to be.

 

One other thing, if you do try this recipe, is to use *very* lean ground beef, so your gravy doesn't come out greasy. It also freezes well.

[LaxMom]

Were these the things that you boiled in water? We used to eat (late 70's, early 80's) what my dad called "Boily bags". I think they were called "Boil-in-bags". They had salisbury steak, turkey, and chopped beef.

*gasp*

:svengo:

 

(and no matter what anyone says, I will never believe that Salisbury Steak is food, no matter where it comes from)

 

- I checked with my husband and he thought "minute steak" was cube steak. It has to be a regional thing, because I assure you, if there were individually packaged meat patties with butter pats in them in this area, they would have been a staple food at my in-laws' house.

[Amber in SJ]

I had never seen the "minute steaks" you described until I moved to the Bay Area in the 90's. My Dh grew up here in San Jose and his mom bought them all the time. They pan fried them in their little pat of butter with plenty of pepper and garlic powder. He lived on them all through college. He would even bring them home from work when he worked in the frozen food department of our local grocery store just so he could have them in the freezer. I haven't seen them in years, though.

 

Amber in SJ

[Shawna in Texas]

*gasp*

:svengo:

 

(and no matter what anyone says, I will never believe that Salisbury Steak is food, no matter where it comes from)

 

- I checked with my husband and he thought "minute steak" was cube steak. It has to be a regional thing, because I assure you, if there were individually packaged meat patties with butter pats in them in this area, they would have been a staple food at my in-laws' house.

 

I called my dad. Apparently we ate this into the late 80's because we started microwaving these. This is how dad fed my sister and I while mom was at work. White bread and meat in a bag. Sometimes we had chicken chow mein or sloppy joes. He says they were Banquet and he thinks they were around 3 for $1. He remembers they were more expensive than the pot pies. :tongue_smilie: I've never actually heard of minute steak.

 

No wonder why I didn't learn to cook until I was nearly 30.

[Julie in CA]

I called my dad. Apparently we ate this into the late 80's because we started microwaving these. This is how dad fed my sister and I while mom was at work. White bread and meat in a bag. Sometimes we had chicken chow mein or sloppy joes. He says they were Banquet and he thinks they were around 3 for $1. He remembers they were more expensive than the pot pies. :tongue_smilie: I've never actually heard of minute steak.

 

No wonder why I didn't learn to cook until I was nearly 30.

Shawna, you called your dad? Good girl. It's been a bit too long since I called my mom, but I tried to call and ask her about this. She wasn't home. :auto:

Can you believe that?! My mommy moved on with her life even though I'm not there...hmph. I'll have to call again today and ask her about them.

[LND1218]

I grew up in CA and I never heard of these. (And I am not young!) Although my mom never bought prepackaged or convience foods, so maybe that is why.

[GgE]

Yes you’re right. They are not cube steaks. Definitely not Steakums. However, Steakums is probably the closet to the end product. They are not Salisbury steak…I miss the heck out of them. Fried within a minute or two and eaten on top of toasted white bread loaded with melted butter. Well in those days it was probably margarine. Loved them.