Chicken Fried Steak

This recipe is courtesy of Pioneer Woman, where nearly 90% of my recipes are born.

Eric and I had never made chicken fried steak 

before this date night.

And I'll tell ya what...it won't be the last time.

It was sooo delicious!

First we dipped the cube steaks in an egg/water mixture.

Then into this flour mixture, complete with seasoning salt, 

cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and garlic powder

                                      

     

 Then we dipped them BACK into the egg mixture, and again in the flour mixture.

That's right, twice in each.

It makes it extra crispy, just believe me.

And then pop them into the already hot oil

 Listen to them simmer

 Let them dry on paper towels to get all of the extra grease off

 And this is where the magic happened.

Eric made the best gravy from the drippings.

Just add flour, milk and lots of salt and pepper until it's the right consistency

And dig in! 

 

Pioneer Woman's Recipe

• 3 pounds Cube Steak (tenderized Round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
• 1-1/2 cup Whole Milk, Plus Up To 2 Cups For Gravy
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• Seasoned Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
• LOTS Of Black Pepper. Lots.
• Canola Oil, For Frying
• Salt And Pepper, For Both Meat And Gravy

Preparation Instructions

Begin with an assembly line of dishes for the meat: milk mixed with egg in one; flour mixed with spices in one; meat in one; then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.
Work one piece of meat at a time. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then dip in the milk/egg mixture. Next, place the meat on the plate of seasoned flour. Turn to coat thoroughly. Place the meat back into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Place back in the flour and turn to coat.
(So: wet mixture/dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture.) Place breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with remaining meat.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it's sufficiently hot. Cook meat, three pieces at a time, until edges start to look golden brown; around 2 to 2 1/2 minutes each side.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm. Repeat until all meat is cooked.
GRAVY:
After all meat is fried, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup grease back to the pan. Allow grease to heat up.
Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix flour with grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Keep cooking until it reaches a deep golden brown color. If paste seems more oily than pasty, sprinkle in another tablespoon of flour and whisk.
Whisking constantly, pour in milk. Cook to thicken the gravy. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick. Add salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until gravy is smooth and thick. Be sure to taste to make sure gravy is sufficiently seasoned.