Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy

Purists will argue that you can't use just any beef in chicken fried steak; traditionally, the cut was tough and cheap—usually round steak—although many cooks and restaurants use higher-end cuts like ribeye or tenderloin these days. After the cook pounds out a piece of round steak with a mallet (or runs it through a tenderizer), she dredges it in seasoned flour, dips it in egg wash, then dredges it in flour again. This process ensures a seal that traps the heat inside the breading and cooks the meat while keeping it tender. The steak is then fried, either in a cast iron skillet or a deep fryer. The golden brown and crunchy result is then slathered in cream gravy, which is made from pan drippings (or bacon grease), flour, milk, and pepper. The final product is a wonderful combination of salt and umami, showcasing the rich creaminess of a well-executed gravy.

The first print instance of chicken-fried steak appears in the Colorado Springs Gazette in June 1914. While it's nearly impossible to definitively trace the origins of chicken-fried steak in Texas and beyond, the most commonly accepted history of the dish traces a line back to a wave of German immigration to Texas that began in the 1830s. The Germans brought with them an Austrian dish called wiener schnitzel: a butterflied veal (or sometimes pork) cutlet pounded thin, dipped in eggs and bread crumbs, then deep fried until golden brown. The resulting coating, sometimes referred to as a "carpet of crumbs," is similar to that of chicken fried steak, but the schnitzel is only dipped once in flour rather than twice, so the coating is a bit thinner and crispier.

Tyler Florence uses top round and marinates his steak in seasoned buttermilk for at least 2 hours or overnight. Also see Alton Brown's recipe below. Cube steak is the traditional meat that is used and Alton Brown has you "needle" the steak to make your own cube steak.

Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay 2008

1 1/4 pound boneless round steak, fat trimmed and pounded 1/4-inch thick
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into lardons
2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, heated
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Finely chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Cut the steak into 4 equal portions.

Place the buttermilk in a medium baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne and 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a bowl and divide between 2 baking dishes.

Dredge the steak pieces a few at a time in the flour mixture and pat off excess, then dip in the buttermilk and allow excess to drain off. Dredge in the second dish of flour and pat off the excess. Put the steak pieces on a baking rack set over a baking sheet while the oil heats.

Place 1-inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet until it reaches 350 degrees F on a thermometer. Add the steak, 2 pieces at a time and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining meat. Transfer the meat to a rack set on a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm while you make the gravy.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan, leaving the crunchy pieces from the breading. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the pan and let cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and continue to cook, whisking occasionally until thickened. Stir in the heavy cream and thyme and season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve 1 piece per person ladled with some of the sauce and garnished with a few pieces of bacon. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

4 servings

Chicken Fried Steak
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

FMM: I made Alton Brown’s recipe. I think the breading would be better made with the buttermilk as in Bobby Flay’s recipe above. Tyler Florence also uses buttermilk. The egg was too thick and the breading just kind of became glue and stuck to my fingers. It could also use a marinate in the buttermilk, as used by Tyler Florence, to tenderize the meat. Next time I will try the spices Bobby Flay adds to the flour. The flavor of the gravy was good - what I would expect from this recipe. I used beef stock because I had some left from another recipe. I forgot to add the thyme. I used top round that I made into cube steaks and it was still a bit tough. You had to slice it thin like you would when making a London Broil or other top round recipe. The problem is that you cannot cook the steak to rare because of the time it takes to brown the breading. It was not bad, but I would not serve it to company unless I could perfect it.

2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat [I would use beef top round]
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking (helps the flour crust stay on the meat).

Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.

Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.

Yield:4 to 6 servings