Ask Rip - Chicken-fried steak

[wal]

Nice!

But no one has mentioned the gravy! Don't Texans put gravy on every thing they eat?

[John Weaver]

I made this last night on a whim.

Seasoned cube steaks w/ salt & pepper and went dry-wet-dry in a seasoned flour and milk/egg bath. Pan fried 2 min/side in cast iron w/ 50/50 olive oil & butter. Oil may have been a bit deep. They weren't really crispy, but the coating stuck. Thinking about it, maybe they aren't supposed to be crispy? Dunno.

Made a pan gravy w/ roux of leftover fat and flour and whisked in milk then seasoned w/ black pepper and salt. Gravy was a little heavy on flour and much better after I discarded half and added more milk.

Kids loved it and I thought it was pretty good. Could definitely improve upon the technique. Next time will use bigger pan and more steaks. I did it in batches and put them on a wire rack in the oven to keep warm.

Not sure what exact cut I used. They were labeled as 'cubed steaks' and that should typically be bottom round cut thin and run thru the cuber. They were plenty tender and only had one bite that was inedible gristle.

[John Watson]

But no one has mentioned the gravy! Don't Texans put gravy on every thing they eat?

I'm a Yankee who lives on an overpopulated island off the coast of America, so this may be totally incorrect but I believe chicken fried steak is optionally served with a white gravy similar to the chipped beef gravy often served with biscuits and gravy.

[Mark Rippetoe]

But no one has mentioned the gravy! Don't Texans put gravy on every thing they eat?

Of course. Australians put wallaby bile/Vegemite on everything they eat, so there are similarities.

[wal]

I'm a Yankee who lives on an overpopulated island off the coast of America, so this may be totally incorrect but I believe chicken fried steak is optionally served with a white gravy similar to the chipped beef gravy often served with biscuits and gravy.

I knew there had to be gravy in the recipe somewhere. That white stuff is full of cornflour. The best gravy is made from the dripping that lies in the bottom of the baking dish, I often when mum cooked a roast lapped it up with bread, that is of course when that stuff was healthy, today it is heart attack sauce.

Of course. Australians put wallaby bile/Vegemite on everything they eat, so there are similarities.

Not wallaby, kangaroo a lovely lean meat. We are the only country in the world that eats its national coat of arms symbols, i.e. the Kangaroo and the Emu. Beat that!