Phil's International Flair

Philip R. Gantt
    Editor's Note: While Phil is on sabbatical, we bring you encore presentations of some of his favorite columns over the years. Enjoy.
Welcome to Seasoned Cooking and to Phil's International Flair!

Here is an elegant recipe that I would call a poor man's version of Steak Diane. Steak Diane is made with a prime cut of beef filet. This recipe uses cube steak instead. The cube steak won't be as tender as a filet, but this recipe will be every bit as flavorful and much cheaper to make. I like to smother this dish with sliced mushrooms, although the mushrooms are optional. If you don't like mushrooms, simply leave them out of the recipe.

The recipe presented this month is from my yet to be published cookbook, Phil's Family and Friends Cookbook. Feel free to email me at with your comments and requests.

Now, on to the recipe!

Cube Steak Diane

Select about 4 medium-sized cube steaks for this recipe. I prefer to use green onions, however white or yellow onions will work just as well. Use what you have on hand, and follow the basic seasoning instructions and you should be very pleased with the outcome.
  • 4 cube steaks
  • Seasoned flour
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed and diced
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 5 tbsp. chopped parsley
  • 1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • Dash of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. dried summer savory
  • 1/2 cup red cooking wine
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 1 green onion, diced
First, coat each cube steak with the seasoned flour. I keep a zip lock bag of seasoned flour in my pantry and use it for a variety of dishes. Doing it this way saves time when you need to prepare a meal for your family. My bag of flour is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, although you can add some herbs as well. Just be frugal on the use of the herbs, as you will want this general purpose seasoned flour to be used for a variety of things over time, and you don't want any one herb or spice to overpower any other seasoning.
Next, melt half a cube of butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Carefully place the floured cube steaks into the skillet and simmer for approximately 4 minutes each side, or until slightly browned. Add a little Worcestershire Sauce and turn each steak once to brown a little further. Remove the cube steaks when done and set them aside in a plate. Once the cube steaks are removed, put the garlic and onions into the skillet and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the red cooking wine (I prefer a chardonnay) to deglaze the skillet, stirring constantly.
Now, return the cube steaks back to the skillet and top with the mushrooms, lemon juice and parsley, reserving some of the parsley for garnish. Stir all the ingredients together and simmer over high heat for about 1 minute. Add the savory and tarragon.
Finally, add the brandy and flambé immediately by holding a lit match over the skillet. Stir the mixture until the flames die out and then serve, topping the steaks with the mushrooms and sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and diced green onions, if desired.

Enjoy!

Serve this dish with green beans, steamed carrots, and baked potatoes.

  • Yields: 4 servings
  • Preparation Time: 25 minutes