Chicken fried steak takes an inexpensive cube steak, pounds it thin, coats it in seasoned flour like fried chicken, and shallow-fries it until the crust shatters. The finishing touch is a peppery cream gravy built directly in the pan drippings, so none of the browned flour flavor is wasted. The dish is a Texas and Southern Plains staple, likely descended from the wiener schnitzel German immigrants brought to the Hill Country in the 1800s. This version works because the steak is double-dredged through buttermilk and flour, which builds a craggy crust that stays attached, and because the gravy is whisked slowly so the roux never lumps. Serve it with mashed potatoes and plenty of black pepper.
Serves 4
Pound cube steaks to a quarter-inch thickness, season both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge in seasoned flour, dip in buttermilk, and dredge in flour again, pressing firmly so the coating adheres in craggy layers.
Let the breaded steaks rest 10 minutes on a rack so the crust hydrates and bonds to the meat before frying.
Heat a half inch of oil in a cast-iron skillet to 350F. Fry steaks one or two at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown, then drain on a wire rack, not paper towels.
If the oil smokes or the crust darkens in under 2 minutes, lower the heat; burnt flour turns the gravy bitter.
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of drippings, whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until blond. Slowly whisk in warm milk and simmer until the gravy coats a spoon, about 4 minutes.
Season the gravy aggressively with black pepper and salt, then ladle it over the steaks just before serving so the crust stays crisp. Pair with mashed potatoes or biscuits while everything is hot.
Cube steak is already tenderized, but pounding it thinner guarantees it cooks through before the crust over-browns.
Let the dredged steaks rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes so the flour hydrates and the crust will not flake off in the oil.
Keep the oil between 325F and 350F; cooler oil makes a greasy crust, hotter oil burns the flour before the beef cooks.
Warm the milk before whisking it into the roux to prevent lumps and speed up thickening.
Rest fried steaks on a rack in a 200F oven if frying in batches, never stacked, or the steam will soften the crust.
Use boneless pork chops pounded thin for chicken fried pork, a common diner alternative.
Add a teaspoon of cayenne and smoked paprika to the dredge for a spicier Texas roadhouse style.
Make sawmill-style gravy by browning crumbled breakfast sausage in the pan before building the roux.
For a lighter take, oven-fry the breaded steaks at 425F on an oiled sheet pan, flipping once.
Refrigerate steak and gravy in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days; re-crisp the steak in a 400F oven for 10 minutes and rewarm gravy with a splash of milk. The fried steak freezes for up to 2 months, but the cream gravy does not freeze well.
Chicken fried steak is widely believed to descend from wiener schnitzel, adapted by German and Austrian immigrants who settled the Texas Hill Country in the mid-1800s and applied breading techniques to cheap local beef. Lamesa, Texas claims to be its birthplace and holds an annual festival, though the origin is contested. The dish became a fixture of Southern cafes and truck stops through the 20th century.
Cube steak, which is top round or sirloin run through a mechanical tenderizer, is the traditional choice. If your butcher does not carry it, buy a half-inch round steak and pound it vigorously with the textured side of a meat mallet until it is about a quarter inch thick and visibly broken down.
Usually the surface was too wet or the crust never set. Pat the steak dry before dredging, press the final flour layer on firmly, rest the breaded steak 10 minutes, and do not move it for the first 2 minutes of frying so the crust can bond.
Cook the flour in the drippings for a full minute first, then add warm milk in a slow stream while whisking constantly. If lumps form anyway, keep whisking over low heat or pass the gravy through a fine strainer; it will still taste right.
Usage varies by region, but chicken fried steak is typically crispier, double-dredged, and served with white cream gravy, while country fried steak is often lightly floured, sometimes simmered in brown gravy until tender. Many menus use the names interchangeably.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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