Steak Fingers

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Cube steak strips marinated in seasoned buttermilk, coated twice in seasoned flour, and fried until golden and crisp. Serve with white gravy for dipping. Plan ahead for at least 4 hours of marinating.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Marinating and Resting Time4 18

Total Time4 53

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 573kcal

Author: Jessica Burgess

Equipment

Deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven
Frying thermometer; instant-read meat thermometer; wire racks and rimmed baking sheets

Ingredients

Buttermilk Marinade

1 pound cube steak about ¼-inch thick
1 ½ cups whole buttermilk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

Seasoned Flour

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon dry mustard

For Frying

Vegetable oil or canola or peanut oil; enough for 1 to 1 ½ inches in the pan

Instructions

Cut the cube steak across the grain into strips. Aim for strips about 1 inch wide and 4–5 inches long, using steaks about ¼ inch thick.
Whisk together the buttermilk marinade. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons seasoned salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add the steak strips, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
Mix the seasoned flour in a shallow dish. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, remaining 2 teaspoons seasoned salt, baking powder, remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and dry mustard.
Drain the steak strips, saving the marinade for breading. Set a strainer over a bowl to catch the buttermilk mixture. Keep it separate from any food that is ready to eat.
Coat each steak strip twice. Press it into the seasoned flour, dip it back into the reserved buttermilk marinade, and coat it in flour again. Gently press the flour onto both sides. Discard any remaining marinade and dredging flour after breading.
Let the breaded steak fingers rest on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes. Set the rack over a rimmed baking sheet. This rest helps the coating adhere.
Heat 1–1½ inches of oil to 350°F. Use a deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven with plenty of room above the oil. Monitor the temperature with a frying thermometer.
Fry in batches for about 3–4 minutes per side. Cook until golden brown and the center reaches at least 145°F, or a higher temperature if directed on the beef package. Insert an instant-read thermometer sideways into a thick strip. Avoid crowding the pan and let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
Transfer the fried steak fingers to a clean wire rack. Let each batch rest for at least 3 minutes before serving. Serve warm, with white gravy for dipping if desired.

Notes

Plan ahead: Marinate in the refrigerator for 4–12 hours. The total time shown includes the minimum 4-hour marinade, a 15-minute breading rest, and a 3-minute rest after cooking. Frying time varies with the size of the pan and number of batches.
For a crisp coating: Press the flour onto the steak, let the breaded strips rest, and keep the frying oil near 350°F. Drain cooked strips on a clean wire rack without stacking them.
To serve: Pair with homemade white gravy for dipping. Gravy is prepared separately and is not included in the ingredient list or nutrition.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour above 90°F) and use within 3–4 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven for about 10–15 minutes or a 350°F air fryer for about 3–5 minutes, flipping halfway, until the center reaches 165°F.
Nutrition estimate: Calculated for 4 servings using all the listed marinade and flour mixture, plus an estimated 4 tablespoons of frying oil retained in the whole batch. Some marinade and flour are discarded, and actual oil absorption varies, so these figures are approximate. Gravy and side dishes are excluded.

Nutrition