Smothered steak is a dish that includes a steak that is thoroughly covered in some kind of sauce. One of the most common kinds of sauce used to cover a smothered steak is a mushroom sauce. A smothered steak dish is usually served along with a starch such as a potato dish or rice and a steamed or creamed vegetable such as creamed spinach or a vegetable medley consisting of carrots, green beans, and peas. Almost any kind of steak can be used to make this dish, but it is quite common for a round steak or a cube steak to be used.
Sometimes a smothered steak is made by simmering the steak in a pan along with the ingredients that will be used to make the sauce. This is a great way to flavor the steak. When the liquid and ingredients in the pan are reduced enough, they can simple be served over top of the steak. This is a common way to serve tough cuts of meat because the simmering process helps to make the steak more tender. The same process can be completed in a slow cooker or crock pot.
A smothered steak may also simply be served as a steak topped with gravy. This is especially popular when the steak will be served with mashed potatoes, which pairs well with gravy. When smothered steak is served in this fashion, it is commonly accompanied with corn on the cob or green beans as a side vegetable. Sometimes gravy smothered steak is prepared as chicken fried steak in which a tenderized steak is breaded and pan fried before it is covered in sauce and served with the accompanying sides.
Sometimes hamburgers are served in a manner similar to the smothered steak recipe. When this is done, the hamburger is served on an open faced bun with gravy or sauce covering the entire hamburger patty and perhaps the bun as well. The sauces that are used to in this kind of dish are similar to the kinds of sauces that are used in smothered steak and are usually made with onions, and perhaps mushrooms or bell peppers as well as gravy. Like the steak dish, this kind of hamburger is almost always served with a side of potatoes that are prepared as French fries. The hamburger, however, may not come with a side of vegetables other than the tomato, lettuce, and onion that are served on the sandwich.
