Smothered Southern Country-Style Steak with Onion Gravy

Country-style steak smothered with onion gravy on a white plate with mashed potatoes.

5 from 1 vote

Smothered Southern Country-Style Steak with Onion Gravy

This smothered Southern country-style steak is slow-braised with caramelized onions in a rich homemade gravy until the beef becomes fork-tender. It’s an easy comfort food dinner that’s perfect served over mashed potatoes, rice, or biscuits for a classic Southern supper.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Marinate1

Total Time3 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: servings

Calories: 311kcal

Author: Sharon Rigsby

Ingredients

2 pounds beef bottom round trimmed of excess fat
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup bacon drippings or vegetable oil
2 cups chicken stock, I like and use Better than Bouillon roasted chicken base, and mix it with water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced, a handheld mandoline works great for this.
2 tablespoons heavy cream for a richer gravy (optional)

Instructions

Soak the steak – If your beef is thicker than one-half inch, cut it into half-inch slices, season, and soak in buttermilk for at least 1 hour.
Dredge and tenderize—Flour the steaks, tenderize them using a meat mallet or needle tool until they’re a quarter-inch thick, and then dredge again.
Caramelize the onions – In bacon fat or oil, cook onions in a large skillet over medium-low heat until golden, sweet, and a light golden brown. This will take about 15 minutes. Remove the onions and set aside.
Sear the steaks – Increase the heat to medium and brown the steaks in batches, 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Make the onion gravy – Add chicken stock, Worcestershire, and thyme into the pot. Bring to a simmer.
Braise – Return steaks and onions to the pot, cover, and cook at 300ºF for 1 to 2 hours, until fork-tender.
Optional: For a richer, silkier gravy, stir in cream just before serving.

Notes

Tenderize well: —Especially if using eye or top round. It makes all the difference! I started out using a needle meat tenderizer, but wasn't happy with how it worked, so I switched to a heavy-duty meat mallet with a flat side and a textured side, which worked much better for flattening and cubing the steaks.

Use a heavy cast-iron skillet, Dutch oven, or a braiser with a lid. My 3.6-quart enameled cast-iron braiser worked perfectly for this recipe.

Try using your cast-iron skillet, Dutch oven, or braiser instead of transferring everything to a separate baking dish, so you can go straight from the stovetop to the oven in one pan and save washing a separate dish.

Don’t skip the onions; they add sweetness and depth to the gravy.

Keep it low and slow, let the oven (or slow cooker) do the work for fall-apart tenderness.

Save that gravy – Don’t waste a drop. Freeze it and add it to chuck roast chili, homemade beef stock, or soup later; it is packed with flavor. Trust me on this.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, adding a splash of chicken or beef stock to loosen the gravy.

Nutrition