Chicken Fried Steak is not chicken. It is steak, albeit a poorer cut than you would put on the grill – making it a natural dish to make with the beef you typically find here. The steak is tenderized, then breaded and fried like chicken.
The ingredients in this dish are few, and the preparation is simple, but don't let that fool you. When this simple steak is done, the outside becomes sumptuously crisp and crunchy, while the inside remains wonderfully juicy. It's an incredible transformation. And when you top it all off with a generous ladle of proper cream gravy, it's well-crafted palate poetry
Ingredients:
1 dinner plate-sized piece of half-inch thick round steak, cut into four pieces.
2 cups flour
3 eggs, whisked. If you prefer your Chicken Fried Steak to be more crispy than crunchy, add a ¼ cup of milk.
salt
pepper
lard or shortening for frying
Preparation:
Pound each piece of meat until it is roughly twice the size it was when you started.
Season the steaks directly; do not mix the spices in with the flour. If you mix your spices in with the flour, you will have to use at least twice as much to get the same amount of flavor. But more important than economy, your seasonings will burn if exposed to the hot oil, and burned is not good eatin'. When you season the meat directly, the spices are protected by the flour coating, and you end up with a much tastier Chicken Fried Steak.
Once you have seasoned and pounded your steaks, dredge them in flour. Knock them together to get rid of any excess flour. You are looking for a light dusting here. Then submerge each steak in the egg and then dredge them in the flour again. No knocking around this time. And then – here is the big secret – let them sit. Yup. Just put 'em on a floured plate and leave em alone for 10-15 minutes. This will let the egg and flour develop into a proper coating.
Heat enough lard in a skillet (preferably of the iron variety) to come one inch up the sides.
When your oil is hot (test by dropping a bit of your left over egg in the skillet, if it sizzles merrily, the oil is ready), gently lay a steak in the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan. Depending on the shape of your steaks, you may be able to get two in the pan at once, but you will probably have to settle for one at a time.
Cook steak until the blood starts to bubble out the top – about 4 minutes. Use tongs to turn the steak over and cook another 4 minutes. When your steak is golden and perfectly crisp, transfer it to a paper towel lined cookie sheet and put it in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of your steaks.
Top each steak with a generous ladle of cream gravy.
Serves: 4Prep time: 30 minutes
You can also read the original post A Little Bit of Chicken Fried.
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