The Smith Family Chicken Fried Steak Recipes

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK I

Steps:

• Cut top loin crosswise into 4 (4 ounce) cutlets. Using a glancing motion, pound each cutlet thinly with a moistened mallet or the side of a cleaver.
• In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1/2 inch shortening to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
• While the shortening is heating, prepare cutlets. In a shallow bowl, beat together egg, buttermilk, salt and pepper. In another shallow dish, mix together garlic powder and 1cup flour. Dip cutlets in flour, turning to evenly coat both sides. Dip in egg mixture, coating both sides, then in flour mixture once again.
• Place cutlets in heated shortening. Cook until golden brown, turning once. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Drain grease, reserving 1/2 cup.
• Using the reserved drippings in the pan, prepare gravy over medium heat. Blend in 1/4 cup flour to form a paste. Gradually add milk to desired consistency, stirring constantly. For a thicker gravy add less milk; for a thinner gravy stir in more. Heat through, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over chicken fried steak.

CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK

Steps:

• Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper evenly over steaks.
• Combine cracker crumbs, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, red pepper, and baking powder.
• Whisk together 3/4 cup milk and eggs. Dredge steaks in cracker mixture; dip in milk mixture, and dredge again in cracker mixture.
• Pour oil into a 12" skillet; heat to 360 degrees (do not use a nonstick skillet). Fry steaks 3-4 minutes. Turn and fry 2-3 minutes or until golden. Remove steak to wire rack in a jellyroll pan. Keep steaks warm in a 225 degree oven. Carefully drain hot oil, reserving cooked bits and 1 tablespoon of dripping in skillet.
• Whisk together remaining 4 cups of milk, 1/4 cup of flour, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add milk mixture to reserved dripping in skillet; cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, or until thickened. Serve gravy with steaks.

THE ULTIMATE CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk , TABASCO® Sauce, and eggs. Set aside.
• Pat cube steaks dry with a paper towel, removing as much moisture as possible. Season with one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes and pat dry again with paper towel.
• Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dredge in the buttermilk-egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and then once again in the flour mixture, shaking off excess.
• Place breaded cube steaks on a sheet pan or metal rack and press any of the remaining flour mixture into the cube steaks making sure that the entire steak is completely coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 225 to 250 F.
• Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. How much oil you need depends on the size of your skillet. You want it to be about 1/4-inch deep. We aren't deep frying the steaks, just shallow frying.
• Test the oil by dropping a bit of the breading into in. The oil should sizzle and bubble around the breading. Look for the oil to be glistening but not smoking - about 320-340 degrees F. Now we're ready to fry.
• Place two steaks into the pan at a time and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Do not flip more than once or the breading will fall off. Do not fry more than two steaks or the pan will be too crowded and the breading will fall off.
• Remove steaks from pan and drain on paper towels. Place in preheated oven. Turn skillet heat to medium.

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat a medium-high skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Cook's Note: Oil is heated when you drop a little flour in and the oil spits.
• Pound out the cube steaks with a meat mallet until they are 1/4 to 1/2-inches thick. Salt and pepper both sides. Mix the flour, cayenne and paprika together in a bowl. Beat the eggs in another bowl. Dredge the steaks through the flour, then egg mixture, then through the flour again.
• Place the steak carefully in the pan as the oil will splatter. Cook until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes on each side. When finished, place on a sheet tray lined with paper towels, hold in a warm oven and repeat the procedure with the other pieces of steak.
• When all steaks have been cooked off, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the cooking oil and lower heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the leftover flour mixture to the oil and whisk to create a paste. Cook until golden, about 1 minute. Gradually add the milk to the flour and oil mixture while whisking together. Season the gravy with salt and pepper, to taste. Let cook until thickened; about 10 minutes. Pour gravy over the steak to finish and garnish with parsley.

THE BEST CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

Steps:

• Pound the steaks to about 1/4-inch thickness. Place 2 cups of flour in a shallow bowl. Stir together the baking powder, baking soda, pepper, and salt in a separate shallow bowl; stir in the buttermilk, egg, Tabasco Sauce, and garlic. Dredge each steak first in the flour, then in the batter, and again in the flour. Pat the flour onto the surface of each steak so they are completely coated with dry flour.
• Heat the shortening in a deep cast-iron skillet to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Fry the steaks until evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Place fried steaks on a plate with paper towels to drain. Drain the fat from the skillet, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid and as much of the solid remnants as possible.
• Return the skillet to medium-low heat with the reserved oil. Whisk the remaining flour into the oil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release solids into the gravy. Stir in the milk, raise the heat to medium, and bring the gravy to a simmer, cook until thick, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Spoon the gravy over the steaks to serve.

CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK WITH WHITE GRAVY

Steps:

• Gather the chicken-fried steak ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 275 F. Meanwhile, enclose cube steak pieces in sheets of waxed or parchment paper. Using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, gently pound the meat to tenderize it.
• Season cube steak with salt and pepper.
• Set up a breading station. Place the flour in large bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs with the milk, and whisk to combine; season with salt and pepper.
• Fill canola oil in a large sauté pan or cast-iron skillet, until 1/2-inch deep. Warm over medium-high heat.
• Dredge cube steak pieces into the flour while the oil is heating, then the milk and egg mixture, and back into the flour again.
• Add the breaded meat into the warmed oil in batches; do not overcrowd the pan.
• Cook cube steak until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Remove to a baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Continue with remaining steak.
• Gather the gravy ingredients.
• Warm bacon fat or canola oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and whisk to combine to create a roux.
• Add the milk, whisking to incorporate it with roux until gravy comes to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, letting gravy cook and thicken to desired consistency, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove chicken-fried steak from oven, spoon gravy over, or on the side.

THE ULTIMATE TEXAS CHICKEN FRIED STEAK RECIPE

Steps:

• Begin with the round steak. Place the round steak inside the butcher paper it comes in, or use parchment or wax paper to cover the individual steaks on both sides while pounding flat. Pound out your steaks with a tenderizing mallet to thin 1/4-inch slices. They will get bigger and wider as you go. I alternate between the spiky side and the flat side of the mallet as I go.
• Combine the flour, seasoning salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk it well, then place it on a large platter.
• In a glass dish (big enough to dunk a whole steak) combine the three eggs and milk and whisk into a thin mixture to make an egg wash.
• Dip each steak into flour, shake it off, then into egg wash, shake it off, then back into the flour. Place each steak on a nice big cookie sheet. Repeat with all the steaks, then transfer into the refrigerator for a half-hour. Do not skip this step. This is giving the flour mixture time to bind and develop. Meanwhile, you can clean up, remembering to reserve 4 tablespoons of seasoned flour for the gravy.
• To cook the steaks, fill a cast-iron skillet about halfway with canola oil. Heat the oil to 350°F on medium-high heat. (You can test the oil with the back of a wooden spoon. When it bubbles around the spoon, it's hot enough. This happens at about 350°F.)
• Using tongs, place a steak in the oil. It should immediately start to bubble and cook, but not explode with activity. If it does, you will want to turn the heat down a nudge. Depending on the size of your skillet, you can cook two or more at the same time. Especially if you preheated that cast-iron skillet. You may have to monitor the heat when adding new steaks. I think a good secret is to let the majority of the first steak get nice and well fried on one side before trying to add in another one.
• Watch the edges of the steak for a golden-brown color. The edges will tell you what it looks like underneath! When you feel like the sides look golden brown, flip the steak and repeat frying on the other side, 4-5 minutes depending on the pan used.
• As each steak is done, remove it from the pan and immediately salt it on each side. Hold on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at about 225°F. This will keep them hot while you cook the other steaks, but they are best served quickly for maximum crispiness.
• When all of the steaks are resting and toasting in the oven, pour all the grease out of the skillet except about 3-4 tablespoons and turn the heat down to low. Sprinkle in the reserved flour and whisk until a brown paste begins to form.
• Slowly whisk in one can of milk and whisk until it is thoroughly combined. Turn the heat up to medium and whisk as the gravy begins to take form and thicken, which happens when the mixture starts to simmer. Little bubbles will begin to form. Keep the heat around medium.
• I usually add another 1/2 can of milk as I decide how thin/thick I want my gravy . . . that's just a preference thing. Feel free to do what you like. Add the lemon juice, onion and garlic powder, and salt. We crack freshly ground pepper in just before serving and sprinkle on fresh thyme from our herb garden.
• Top the chicken-fried steaks with gravy and serve with your favorite sides.

THE SMITH FAMILY CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

Steps:

• mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
• dredge steaks in seasoned flour to coat and set aside.
• dip each steak in egg wash and then coat again in seasoned flour and cornflakes crumbs.
• fry in 1/2 inch fresh crisco oil til brown and serve with cream gravy.
• you can use chicken breasts pounded flat for chicken fried chicken.

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

Steps:

• Pound cube steaks, and pat dry with paper towels.
• In a large shallow bowl combine, flour, seasoned salt, and baking powder. In another large shallow bowl, combine milk, eggs, and or Worcestershire sauce.
• Dip steaks in flour mixture, then egg mixture, and then flour mixture again.
• In a large dutch oven heat about 1/4 an inch of oil to 375 degrees. Fry one or two at a time for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
• In a large saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour. Cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk and stir until thickened. Season with salt/pepper.
• Serve over steaks, and enjoy!

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• For the steak: Begin with setting up an assembly line of dishes. Mix the milk with the eggs in one; the flour mixed with the seasoned salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, paprika and cayenne in another; and the meat in a third. Then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.
• Work with one piece of meat at a time. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and black pepper, then place it in the flour mixture. Turn to coat. Place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Finally, place it back in the flour and turn to coat (dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture). Place the breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with the remaining meat.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it's sufficiently hot. When the butter sizzles immediately, you know it's ready. (It should not brown right away, if it does, the fire is too hot.) Cook the meat, 3 pieces at a time, until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and keep them warm by covering lightly with another plate or a sheet of foil. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.
• After all the meat is fried, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. Without cleaning the skillet, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup of the grease back to the skillet and allow it to heat up.
• For the gravy: When the grease is hot, sprinkle the flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Add more flour if it looks overly greasy; add a little more grease if it becomes too pasty/clumpy. Keep cooking until the roux reaches a deep golden brown color.
• Pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the seasoned salt and black pepper to taste and cook, whisking, until the gravy is smooth and thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick. Be sure to taste to make sure gravy is sufficiently seasoned.
• Serve the meat next to a big side of mashed potatoes. Pour gravy over the whole shebang!