This is a twice-a-year steakdinner for me, but it's more like once a month mealfor Ladd. It's crispy. It's creamy. It's sinfully indulgent. My word, served next to apile of mashed potatoeswith the gravy poured over the whole thing,it's countrycomfort food at its finest!
Why is it called chicken fried steak?
Don't be confused! There's no chicken in this recipe. The reason it's called chicken fried steak is because it has a breading on it that resembles fried chicken. Now, if you want to make chicken fried chicken, be my guest!
What kind of meat is chicken fried steak made with?
This recipe uses cube steak which is justtenderized round steak that's been extra tenderized. Tenderized round steak works fine, too.Heck, you could even buy non tenderized round steak and beat it to smithereens yourself. Do what you want!
What's the difference between country fried steak and chicken fried steak?
Not much except the gravy its smothered in. Country fried steak is served with brown gravy, and chicken fried steak is all about the gorgeouswhite gravy.Each is their own thing and each is exceedingly divine.
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- Yields:
- 6 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 25 mins
- Cook Time:
- 35 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr
Ingredients
For the Chicken Fried Steak:
- 1 1/2 c.
whole milk
- 2
large eggs
- 2 c.
all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp.
seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 tsp.
paprika
- 1/4 tsp.
cayenne pepper
- 3 lb.
cube steak (tenderized round steak that’s been extra tenderized)
Kosher salt
- 1/2 c.
canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp.
butter
For the Gravy:
- 1/3 c.
all-purpose flour
- 4 c.
whole milk
- 1/2 tsp.
seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Mashed potatoes, for serving
Directions
- Step1For the steak: Begin with setting up an assembly line of dishes. Beat the milk with the eggs in one; the flour mixed with the seasoned salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, paprika and cayenne in another; and the meat in a third. Then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.
- Step2Work with one piece of meat at a time. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and black pepper, then place it in the flour mixture. Turn to coat. Place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Finally, place it back in the flour and turn to coat. Place the breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with the remaining meat (dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture).
- Step3Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it's sufficiently hot. When the butter sizzles immediately, you know it's ready. (It should not brown right away, if it does, the fire is too hot.) Cook the meat, 3 pieces at a time, until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and keep them warm by covering lightly with another plate or a sheet of foil. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.
- Step4After all the meat is fried, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. Without cleaning the skillet, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup of the grease back to the skillet and allow it to heat up.
- Step5For the gravy: When the grease is hot, sprinkle the flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Add more flour if it looks overly greasy; add a little more grease if it becomes too pasty/clumpy. Keep cooking until the roux reaches a deep golden brown color.
- Step6Pour in 3 to 4 cups milk, whisking constantly. Add the seasoned salt and black pepper to taste and cook, whisking, until the gravy is smooth and thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick. Be sure to taste to make sure the gravy is sufficiently seasoned.
- Step7Serve the meat next to a big side of mashed potatoes. Pour gravy over the whole shebang!
There’s nothing special about this dish, except that it’s a total miracle.
It’s chicken fried steak, is what it is. I made it for Marlboro Man last night because I like him, because he drove me all over Kingdom Come this weekend, because he stopped at a gas station each of the 4,322 times I asked him to because I kept drinking iced coffees (TMI?), and because I like him.
I think I’ll keep him.
Make it for someone you like!
And plan on keeping.
To begin, you need an assembly line of ingredients:
A plate of cube steak, which is tenderized round steak that’s been extra tenderized.
You could also just use tenderized round steak.
You could also buy regular round steak and beat it to smithereens with a tenderizer.
You need a dish with milk and eggs…
Beaten together with a fork.
Next, you need a dish with flour. Sprinkle on some seasoned salt…
And some black pepper. I like to add a little cayenne, too; you can add whatever spices you think might float your boat.
For the assembly, dip the meat, one piece at a time, into the flour mixture.
Turn it over to coat.
Remove it from the flour mixture, then place it into the egg/milk mixture, turning to coat.
Finally, place it in the flour once again and turn to coat.
After this, place the meat in a clean dish while you repeat the breading process with the rest of the meat.
Heat some canola oil in a heavy skillet.
Fry the meat, three pieces at a time…
(If little chunks of the breading fall off, don’t weep. Happens to me all the time, man.)
Until both sides are golden brown.
Remove the cooked meat to a paper towel-lined plate, then get ready to make the gravy.
Now, that’s a beautiful skillet of grease. Look at those bits of deliciousness.
What you need to do first is pour off all the grease into a heatproof bowl, then add 1/4 cup of grease back into the skillet. Heat it over medium-low heat, then sprinkle flour over the grease. (Sorry. Missed the photo.)
Whisk the flour into the oil…
And cook it for a couple of minutes, until it turns a deep golden brown. If the roux looks more greasy than pasty, just sprinkle in a little more flour.
Pour in a couple of cups of milk…
And whisk until it’s combined. You’ll need to add plenty of salt and pepper to the gravy, tasting as you go. Under salted gravy is a sacrilege.
And grody.
(Pardon me while I slip in this shot from my cookbook because I forgot to take a finished shot last night. Don’t be like me.) Serve the meat alongside a big pile of mashed potatoes, then pour the gorgeous gravy over the whole thing.
It’s one of life’s real pleasures.
