Quick Ways to Cook a Round Steak

Tenderize round steaks to prepare them for cooking. By taking a moment or two to tenderize the round steaks, they will cook faster and stay tender during a quicker cooking method. Use a meat mallet or the butt of a butcher knife to pound the flesh until it looks raw and ragged. When you finish, the round steak should be thinner -- about 3/8-inch thick.

Flavor the round steaks with a variety of herbs and seasonings, depending on the recipe. A simple shake of garlic salt and pepper might be all you desire to allow the beef flavors to shine. You might also consider cutting the round steak into strips, dredging them in flour and seasoning them with oregano and basil for an Italian meat dish. Try an exotic combination by slathering the steaks with apricot preserves, lemon juice and cumin, or rub the meat with a dry ranch-flavored seasoning mix.

Add a little liquid to add flavor and moisture to the round steaks while you cook them. Creamed soups like cream of mushroom or cream of celery can be the ideal medium for cooking moist round steak. Stewed tomatoes, undrained diced tomatoes or herbed tomato sauce are also well suited for round steak recipes featuring Italian seasonings.

The fastest way to cook round steaks is to dredge them in flour after tenderizing and pan-fry them in a little of your chosen liquid on the stove top. Use a medium-high heat and the steaks will cook in only about five minutes each side. Another fast way to cook round steak is to slice the seasoned meat into strips and saute the strips in oil along with garlic and onion. Stir as the meat cooks and it should cook through in less than 10 minutes. After the meat finishes cooking, add it to a tomato-based sauce and serve it over noodles.