#86 :: Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

Most of the food on our blog lately has been very health conscious. I needed a break from that! I just mentioned to Jamie a few weeks ago how I missed Texas Chicken Fried Steak (not the "Country" Fried Steak they have here in Ohio). Then I caught an Alton Brown show on Food Network about Chicken Fried Steak and how it's different from Country Fried Steak. That made me want some even more...so we went for it! Comfort food at its best! We did (at least) include some roasted broccoli, so it wasn't 100% bad.....

We don't have a mallet, so we pounded them flat with the bottom of a sauce pot. It was kind of fun getting out some aggression! The only way we strayed from the recipe was the buttermilk. We didn't have buttermilk, which makes the crust a little crispier than regular milk. It still turned out delicious though. I was pleased that I didn't totally ruin it my first time trying...

Ingredients

-- Steak --

• 6 (6-ounce) beef top-round steaks*, tenderized and at room temperature
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Meat Tenderizer seasoning
  
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups buttermilk at room temperature
• 4 to 5 cups peanut or canola oil

-- Cream Gravy --

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup leftover seasoned flour
• 4 cups milk at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or your favorite pepper sauce), or to taste

Directions

*Note: If you prefer, you may substitute thin sliced rib-eye steaks, sirloin steaks, or chopped steaks for the tougher top-round steak.

Prepare the Meat Seasoning by combining all ingredients together and mixing until well blended. Place mixture in a tightly sealed glass or plastic container, and store in a dark place for future use. Shake before each use to remix ingredients. Makes about 1 1/3 cups seasoning.

For the Steaks: Have your butcher twice-tenderize the steak if possible. Cut the steak into equal portions and, if needed, lightly pound steaks with a meat mallet until they are about 1/4- to 1/3-inch thick, set aside to come to room temperature.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, and place the sheet on the oven rack; heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels. Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep 11- to 12-inch diameter cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, to 375 degrees F (oil should pop loudly when a drop of egg mixture is dropped in).

Combine flour and meat seasoning in a large shallow dish. In a second large shallow dish, beat the eggs, baking powder, and baking soda; stir in the buttermilk (the mixture will bubble and foam).

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and lightly sprinkle each side with meat seasoning to taste. Working with three steaks at a time, dip each steak into the egg mixture then dredge in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour, and dip again in the egg mixture. Using a long-handled meat fork or long metal tongs, very gently place the wet steaks into the hot oil (be extremely careful...there will be regular "explosions" of very hot oil as steaks cook). Fry for 3 to 5 minutes or until breading is set and deep golden brown. Gently turn steaks and fry for another 3 minutes (oil temperature will drop to around 335 degrees). Transfer the steaks to the paper-towel-lined plate to drain, then transfer them to the wire rack in the oven. Bring the oil back to 375 degrees and repeat the breading, cooking and draining process (use fresh paper towels) with the three remaining steaks.

For the Pan Drippings Cream Gravy: After the chicken fried steaks are removed from the pan, pour off the oil through a strainer. Leave about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of pan drippings in the bottom of the skillet along with as many of the browned bits and cracklings (from the seasoned coating) as possible. Return any browned cracklings from the strainer to the skillet before starting the gravy.

Heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Sprinkle with enough leftover seasoned flour to absorb most of the oil, approximately 1/4 cup. Blend with a wooden spoon or whisk, scraping loose browned bits from the bottom and sides of skillet, until mixture becomes bubbly, smooth and golden brown. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly and mashing out any lumps, until the gravy begins to boil. Lower heat and whisk mixture continuously until it is smooth and reaches desired consistency (gravy should have a loose consistency--it will thicken as it cools). Check seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste. Add the Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces, whisking until smooth.

Transfer the chicken-fried steaks to individual plates. Spoon a generous amount of gravy over each steak. Serve immediately, placing any remaining gravy in a small bowl. Accompany with mashed potatoes, greens, black-eye peas, and cornbread, or biscuits.

Makes 6 servings

Recipe from BigOven.com

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars