When people discover I am a year-rounder, and, in fact, have not left Mazatlan since I moved here three years ago, they often ask me if there are any foods that I miss. My answer is always a quick and unequivocal yes. I don't need to think about it. My little Texan heart yearns for Chicken Fried Steak.
I can always tell by the reaction if I am talking with one of the uninitiated. People who have never experienced the divine, unofficial state food of Texas just look at me vaguely and make a hmmmmph sound. Those who know what I am talking about exclaim, "Oh man! Me too!"
No, 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
Do not, under any circumstance, try and "fancy it up" with your choice of sides. That will ruin this sublime comfort food. Acceptable sides include: mashed potatoes, french fries, fried okra, biscuits, corn bread, green beans, sweet corn, baked beans, and squash casserole.
For some chicken fried satisfaction:
1 dinner plate-sized piece of half-inch thick round steak, cut into four pieces. If you are shopping here in Mazatlan, you will probably have to ask the butcher to cut it specially to get one that thick.
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
Pound each piece of meat until it is roughly twice the size it was when you started. I have a specially designed, ergonomic, stainless steel pounder, because I love my Chicken Fried Steak that much, but you can use anything you want. The heavier the item the easier the job will be for you. Heck, you can even use the flat side of your claw hammer as long as you wrap the head in enough cling film to prevent contaminating your meat with hammer cooties. This is an excellent upper body workout, and living in Mexico, your neighbors won't even complain about the noise.
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. Yes, you can use shortening or whatever frying oil you prefer, but let's talk about lard for a second. I am not sure how lard got such a bad name and consequently was supplanted in the kitchen by other oils that are worse for you. Lard has 1/3 less saturated fat (the killer fat) than butter, and significantly less than other "virtuous" oils like palm kernel oil. It has twice as much monounsaturated fat (the good for you fat) than butter. It is taste neutral, making it good for savory foods and pastries alike. Most importantly, with lard your pie crust will be flakier, your biscuits more tender, and your Chicken Fried Steak crispier. So give it a try. One caveat: make sure you buy your lard (manteca de cerdo) from the refrigerated section. The stuff on the shelf has been partially hydrogenated (just like shortening) to make it shelf stable. And that is not good for you.
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. I really mean gently. Not only do you not want to splash yourself with the hot oil, if you are cooking here in Mazatlan, odds are that you are cooking over a real, genuine flame. Fire and oil are not a good combination. A three-alarm kitchen fire is not on the path to good eatin'. 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. Sit back, relax, close your eyes, and enjoy a little corner of Texan heaven.
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|96.51.84.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s AngelLooking at those photos gave me a sudden hankering for bicuits and gravy.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferOh yum. And I finally found an appropriate sausage to make sausage gravy. It really, really needs to cool off so I can cook.
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|189.174.232.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s mazsilvaWhat and where do you get the sausage you like??? Need me some of that!!
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferThe sausage I buy is from Sams Club. It's in the open cold cases, not the stand up refrigerators. It's labeled Argentinian Chorizo, although it is not spicy nor does it have any of the seasonings I typically associate with chorizo. It comes two packs attached together, five links in each pack, for about $100. If you remove the casings from a couple of links and crumble it up, it makes an excellent sausage gravy.
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|96.51.84.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s AngelWe need a whole new thread in the food section about the nuances of making biscuit gravy, favorite recipes, how to get it creamy, phase of the moon when to make it, etc.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferI have actually already started the post for the cream gravy to go with the chicken fried steak, but I agree. I would love to hear other people's secrets!
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|189.174.211.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s bstoryJennifer, you might want to try our favorite place in Mazatlan, "Heather's Place" on Cameron Sabalo in the Golden Zone. She has chicken fried steaks with milk gravy on her breakfast menu!
The portions are HUGE & I'm sure you'll ask for a "doggy bag"!
Bob Story
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferThanks, Bob. I will be sure to give it a try. But I have to warn you, I am a CFS connoisseur.
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|187.149.32.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s sansI lived in Texas for 15 years and the hubby is a born/bred Texan. LOVE CFS! I'll have to say, maybe it was a bad day, but we did not like the CFS at Heather's at all, nor did we like her gravy. Thank goodness David is an expert at both!
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferLucky you! Maybe I'll have to wrangle an invitation to your house next time I am having a craving!
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|208.185.17.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s sansOOhhh...and you know that Ken at Olas Altas Steakhouse is a Texas....you need to try his steakfingers! Way good.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferI haven't had his steak fingers, but his onion rings positively sing!
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|208.185.17.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s sansAnd yea...we should have a Texas dinner one night! Too bad we can't get any Shiner Bock......
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferI remember back before most people knew what Shiner Bock was, getting pitchers for $3...those were the days.
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|200.66.52.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s ZoeWell, you did it! You have been trying to get in that "fryday" and it looks delicious. (I can just see Nancy shivering)
When I had my dinner club NOB, we normally had wonderful gourmet meals, outstanding and varied, but at one of my turns I decided to have a "comfort food"dinner night and it was one of the most fun as everyone has favorites from creamy mac and cheese with crusty top, CFS, to meatloaf with wine and bacon, finished with apple crisp, lemon meringue pie and other faves. I can't wait to get my dinner club going here in a another month or so as we have a good bunch interested.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferI can imagine the meal went well. When I start to really crave stuff, it's usually comfort food. Maybe because I don't eat it very often. Or maybe because I am actually craving something else...
Keep us posted on your dinner club. Maybe you can post in the forum and let us know a little more about it.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferOk, I will admit to having to resort to Google to figure out what backstrap is. I wonder if you can find venison around here. It is "Land of the Deer"...
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|200.56.131.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s NancyEverybody craves something!! Me, it's sweet potatoes to make french fries with. All I can find are shriveled and gross.
Roasted broccoli with parmesan cheese. Made it once last week, it is delicious.
Tasty vegetarian sausage. I am working out a recipe of my own, the hard part is the casings since they are all animal. I need to do plastic I think.
Roasted zuchinni like at Il Mosto. Made this several times recently, too. Olive oil, sea salt, balsamic. Mmmmm.
I just had to crash your little party over here, sorry.
(but you were probably expecting it...)
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferWhen I was sick, Chuck went out and bought hot dogs. They still had the plastic casings on them, so maybe you will be able to find a source.
In a pinch, you can make the sausage and lay it out on waxed paper, then use the paper to snug it into a log, twist the ends, and chill. Not the best solution, but maybe a workable one?
There was a place in Texas that made the best sweet potato french fries. They served them with a little cup of cinnamon butter. Yum.
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|66.169.114.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s wglockYa know...chicken fried steak is hard for me to find. Well, really good chicken fried steak. I haven't had many what was to die for and they were all home made. I'll bet that your's is delicious! Also, thanks again for introducing me to Risotto! I always have some on hand. I like it so much that Beth finally told me that she was tired of having Risotto. So, I make it every now and then and sometimes just for me. You would give Emeril a run for his money!
Your lasagna...THE BEST!
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferHey Will!
Try the Benbrook Grill on highway 377. Here is a map.
Obviously a few years since I have eaten there, but it used to be one of my favorite places to eat. And try the shoestring onion rings. They are great.
And take Beth. Give her a break from risotto.
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