This post is going to be a little different than my others because it’s not really going to be a recipe in the traditional since…that’s because I have no clue what measurements to tell you because I do this one completely by smell.   So with that said I am going to tell you how I make it and what I put in it. Not to rub it in but if you can figure out how much of things to put in it you won’t be disappointed…it’s delicious.

My all-time favorite Cuban food is ham croquettes, I can out eat ANYONE, just ask my father in law (he was highly impressed). That said breaded steaks are a really close second or could even tie. My brother in law first introduced me to them, he would fry up a mountain of them and we would fight for our share all the way down to the last crumb. I decided I couldn’t always depend on him to feed me so I started my journey of making them myself. I experimented with different cuts of steak, measurements, breading and even how to cut the meat, I finally can say that I am totally satisfied with how I make them now.

The cut of beef I have decided on is minute steak, which is also known as cube steak, I find that the breading sticks best to this cut. I will say however I get my meat from a local farmer and the minute steaks that come from that are very tender, some that you will buy at the store can be very tough so keep that in mind. I then cut the pieces into two or three pieces keeping them about three inches wide. Now comes the difficult to explain part….the marinade…. I put the steaks into a ziplock and then add white vinegar, lemon juice, Badia Complete Seasoning, and garlic. I add a little more lemon juice then vinegar and crush about three big cloves of garlic (I normally pull apart or chop up the cloves a little so they can distribute through the whole bag). Lastly, I add a few large pinches of Badia. I may have to add a little more of something but I decide that by smell. I marinate it overnight and massage the bag and turn it occasionally.

When I am ready to cook I get a bowl and add one egg and some water to make an egg wash then in another bowl I use a cornmeal flour mix with some Badia (if you can’t tell Badia complete seasoning is really important to have in this recipe) black pepper, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. Then to bread, your steaks dredge in the flour mixture then in the egg wash, then back into the flour then set aside while your oil heats up. Before adding the steaks into the hot oil dredge them through the flour mixture again fry to golden brown. Only flip the steaks once while they are cooking, if you keep flipping them the breading will break and fall off.

Serve with black beans and rice and you will be in food heaven.

Well I warned you this wasn’t really going to be a recipe, this dish is going to be like my mom’s spaghetti sauce, I will have to teach it to my kids by them watching me. I encourage you to try it yourself just keep in mind it may not be perfect the first time but with a little trial and error, you will get there.

p.s. sorry, the picture isn’t that great….I started eating before I took it…

Enjoy!

TASTE (AND SMELL) AS YOU MAKE!!