I don't fix chicken fried steak often. Actually, I've only made this dish about 3 times in my entire life. Let me tell you--it's worth the work that goes into it! It's one of my husband's all time favorites and I venture to say that I have perfected the dish! No need to order this one out, y'all!
You have to start with the best beef available. For me, that's tenderized steak from Raising Five Cattle Company. Their grass fed beef is to die for. The cubed steak is so tender you can cut it with a spoon.
You'll notice in the pictures that I'm about to post that the meat is not a bright cherry red as seen in grocery stores. Wanna know why? Because theses delicious cuts of meat haven't been injected with red food dye to make them look more appealing. Yes--you read that right. Food dye. It's in everything including the meat you buy at the grocery store. Ick. Enough on that subject. On to the real prize.....CHICKEN FRIED STEAK!
I don't follow a recipe per se but if you're one that needs some direction, try Homesick Texan's recipe--it's no fail! It's my guide but now I fly solo when preparing. I do make my own cream gravy but Homesick Texan's is about as good as you get!
This recipe is for you, my dear sweet friend, Leslie Rosier Mitchell! I'm sure you can whip this up in Boston!
Pat steaks dry using paper towels.
You have to start with the best beef available. For me, that's tenderized steak from Raising Five Cattle Company. Their grass fed beef is to die for. The cubed steak is so tender you can cut it with a spoon.
You'll notice in the pictures that I'm about to post that the meat is not a bright cherry red as seen in grocery stores. Wanna know why? Because theses delicious cuts of meat haven't been injected with red food dye to make them look more appealing. Yes--you read that right. Food dye. It's in everything including the meat you buy at the grocery store. Ick. Enough on that subject. On to the real prize.....CHICKEN FRIED STEAK!
I don't follow a recipe per se but if you're one that needs some direction, try Homesick Texan's recipe--it's no fail! It's my guide but now I fly solo when preparing. I do make my own cream gravy but Homesick Texan's is about as good as you get!
This recipe is for you, my dear sweet friend, Leslie Rosier Mitchell! I'm sure you can whip this up in Boston!
Pat steaks dry using paper towels. Place one steak at a time in the egg mixture and coat well. Be sure to let any excess drip off as you don't want too much!
Dredge steak in well seasoned flour [I use salt, pepper and garlic powder].
Dip in egg mixture a second time.
Back to the flour for a second coating! Be sure to shake off any excess.
Into a hot cast iron skillet. An important note--oil must be very hot and a cast iron skillet is a MUST! I used peanut oil for an extra crispy outside on my steaks. Olive oil won't work for this as it has a low smoke point.
Flip after a three to four minutes. Be sure each side is a deep golden brown.
I place my steaks on a cookie sheet with a metal rack to drain. As I continue cooking steaks, the finished ones go into a warm oven to stay warm while I fininsh preparing dinner.
Cream gravy....yum! Start off with a fat [I used butter but you can use pan drippings for added flavor] and flour. Whisk until it bubbles and begins to turn a nice golden color. I typically don't like dark cream gravy, so I leave mine a little pale. You can certainly cook your rue as long as you wish.
Add seasonings--salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic or you can use season salt.
Whisk in milk. Be sure to turn the heat down as it will start to thicken and will burn. I used skim milk.
Whisk until mixture is nice and smooth.
Fresh ground black pepper and hot sauce [I prefer Cholula] rounds out the seasonings for the gravy!
Assemble plate and add gravy......
Ready to eat!
