Cube Steaks Parmigiana with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Prepare the Tomato Sauce: Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until lightly golden and fragrant (about 1 minute). Carefully add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare Cube Steaks: Season cube steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. Set up a breading station with three shallow dishes. In the first dish, combine flour and garlic salt. In the second, beat the eggs and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In the third dish, place the garlic-and-herb panko bread crumbs.

Bread the Cube Steaks: Coat each cube steak lightly with flour, tapping off any excess. Dip the floured steak in the beaten eggs, allowing excess egg to drip off before turning it in the bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs into the cube steak to ensure they adhere. Transfer the breaded cube steak to a wire rack-lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until all cube steaks are coated.

Pan-Fry the Cube Steaks: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Gently place breaded cube steaks into the skillet and cook on the first side until golden brown (2-3 minutes). Carefully turn over and cook on the second side until golden brown (2-3 minutes). Return the cooked cube steaks to the baking sheet to drain excess oil.

Broil with Mozzarella: Set an oven rack about 8-10 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the pan-fried cube steaks to the prepared baking sheet and evenly distribute the sliced mozzarella cheese on top.

Broil until the mozzarella has melted and begins to brown (about 5 minutes).

Serve: Spoon the fresh tomato sauce generously over each cube steak before serving. Garnish with extra basil, if desired.