Perfect Chicken Fried Steak
All good things come to those who wait and when you’re feeling nostalgic or need to eat your emotions this little plate of happiness will fit the bill. I’ve heard some people say they don’t like Chicken Fried Steak.
I don’t know who those people are.
They’re probably not from Texas.
They’re probably the same people who don’t like gravy.
I know, but I’ve heard rumors they do exist. Chicken Fried Steak is not some throwaway dish to whip up with whatever cheap cut of meat you have sitting around. It is a classic because, if executed well, it hits all the culinary bells: crunch and chew and, oh my, the side dishes (it’s practically Thanksgiving)! The good news is you are here. The better news is this recipe does execute well, nay perfectly! It’s a delicious dish worth the extra time and effort.
Perfect Chicken Fried Steak
Serves/ Yield: 6 Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook/ Assembly Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs. sirloin beef steaks, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 c. all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 c. refined coconut oil, divided
- 1?c. chicken broth
- 1 1/2 c. whole milk
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees F (if your oven has a keep warm option it should be around here, if not then choose a very low setting if you cannot go this low preheat it to about 300 while you prep then turn it off).
Season each steak on both sides with the salt and pepper. Cut the steaks with the grain into equal portions (about six). Place the flour into a pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Flatten each steak to 1/4-inch thickness. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Once flattened, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat.
Use two 12-inch slope-sided skillets and place enough oil to cover the bottom and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat (start with the first one you dredged in flour and go in order from there so they each have some time to rest). Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, you may only be able to fit one steak at a time. 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.
To make the gravy, determine if your pan is scrapings are “clean” enough. If they smell burned then so will your gravy. You’ll need about 1 tablespoon of oil, so add some if your pan has dried out. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour. To deglaze the pan, add the chicken broth in about three parts and whisk to smooth after each addition. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk 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.
Options and Notes: 
Mashed potatoes. You’re already making gravy and this recipe takes some time so you have time to boil some potatoes.
You can use all milk in the gravy if you don’t feel like using chicken broth. Whatever, it’s your gravy.
Also, if you read The Help, by Kathryn Sockett you may have noticed they cooked dinner at 3 pm and left it to warm until they were ready to eat that evening (actually, they just left it sitting out and reheated it). You can do that too. Just make it early and leave it in that warm oven. It will hold up for a bit. Ditto on the mashed potatoes they reheat just fine. *not a doctor
Categorically Speaking: Dinner, Lunch, Beef, Southern, Comfort Food
