Garlic and Lime Marinated Cube Steak

This recipe is a riff on the simple Cuban dish called “bistec de palomilla.” It is good, simple home cooking at its finest and turns a cheap cut of meat into something tender and tasty. The featured meat is cube steak, which is one of the cheapest cuts I can get from my local grass fed beef farmers, so it is also a great way to eat healthy grass fed beef on a budget.

What is cube steak? It is usually a piece of top round or top sirloin that is tenderized by the butcher with a mechanical tenderizer. The name refers to the shape of the indentations left by that process. It is the most common cut of meat used for chicken fried steak, and that is how we usually prepare it. But breaded and fried meat just didn’t feel right on this hot summer night, so I looked around on the internet and found the lime and garlic flavor combination technique that is the hallmark of the Cuban dish and decided to create my own paleo-friendly variation.

We had our steaks with a big leafy salad, fried plantains, and white rice since it is a “safe starch” that is generally well tolerated, but this would be great with any paleo-friendly vegetable side dish.

Notes for healing diets:

• The Paleo Approach (TPM) or Autoimmune Paleo Protocol (AIP): This is a great recipe for people who are intolerant to the foods eliminated on AIP as described in Sarah Ballantyne’s The Paleo Approach. No modifications are needed.
• Low-FODMAPs: Both garlic and onions are high in FODMAP, so this recipe is likely not a good choice for people who need to avoid those foods.
• Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD): This recipe is SCD-legal. No modifications are needed.

Paleo Cube Steak Marinated with Garlic and Lime Recipe

Garlic and Lime Marinated Cube Steak

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• Author: Jaime Hartman
• Total Time: 24 hours 20 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

This is a paleo-friendly and very budget-friendly dish that uses one of the cheapest cuts of meat out there.

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Ingredients

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• 4 pieces cube steak (1–2 pounds)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup lime juice (from 2–3 limes)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

1. Season cube steak pieces with salt and pepper and place in shallow dish. Pour lime juice and sprinkle garlic over pieces and turn to coat on both sides.
2. Place in refrigerator for at least four hours and up to overnight. Turn once or twice during the marinating time to insure marinade is even.
3. Remove from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing onions.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in large skillet.
5. Saute onions over medium heat until they are very soft and beginning to take on a golden color (10-20 minutes). Remove onions and set aside in bowl, squeeze additional lime over them and mix.
6. Increase heat to medium-high and heat remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in same skillet. Add steaks and cook about 2 minutes per side, flipping when you begin to see the juices rising to the surface.
7. Serve steaks topped with onion mixture and garnished with chopped parsley.

• Prep Time: 24 hours
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Entree
• Cuisine: Cuban

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Shared on Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable, Pennywise Platter Thursday.