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Chicken fried steak: An American meal By Chef Kady Guyton
When looking at the world history of culinary arts, most attention is paid to France and Italy - which is as it should be. Nearly all of our cooking techniques and most of our vocabulary came from these two countries. However, once everything leaped the pond to the United States, it became anyone's ball game. The United States does not have the street food culture that other countries enjoy. This isn't to say that there's no street food, it's just not as widely spread. What we do have going for us is diner food, with a very robust subset known as truck stop food. This particular cuisine can be characterized by the amount of starch, protein and fat on one plate. It is dedicated to serving up good, no-frills food cheaply and quickly. Often with a little extra flair that is always appreciated, but not strictly necessary. The other hallmark of diner food is that none of the ingredients are fancy or exotic. How many dishes can be made with eggs, bread, dairy and cheap cuts of meat? Quite a few, as it turns out. So in that vein, this week we're serving up that truck stop classic: Chicken fried steak with pan gravy. Chicken fried steak can be wonderful; crispy breading, tender meat, lightly spiced. Or it can be shoe leather with a crust. To avoid the shoe leather result, start with a cube steak. Cube steak is a piece of otherwise tough red meat that has been run through a tenderizer. Because it's high in connective tissue, it can handle being tenderized and then cooked. Cubing helps break down the tissue and cooking over high heat finishes the job. The next step is the breading. I prefer a mixture of flour, corn meal and seasonings - a blend I learned from a truck stop cook I used to work with. However, toasted bread crumbs, panko and crushed corn flakes will all do the job equally well. Experiment to see what your taste buds like best. Always season the breading. Once that's done, it's on to the frying. Do not fear frying. The key here is enough oil, the dish is called chicken fried steak for a reason. There should be at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil in the pan. The oil should be hot, but not smoking. Tilt the pan and watch the oil run across the surface, if you see horizontal, wavy lines then the oil is hot. Never put food in a pan of cold oil. The food lays there and absorbs the oil, making it much harder to get a crisp exterior and also adding extra fat to the finished product. Food that is put into hot oil begins to cook immediately with minimal absorption. Knowing when to flip the steak is what separates the pros from the amateurs. When the surface of the steak starts to show liquid, then it's time to flip. This rule applies to any cooked meat, from burgers to chicken breasts. Always wait for the surface to become juicy before flipping. Once everything has been cooked on both sides, remove the steaks to a paper towel to drain and cover with foil. Drain off the oil and prepare to make the gravy. Cream gravy is basically a French roux gone down market. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in the same pan the steaks where cooked in, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add an equal amount of flour and stir together to remove any lumps. Then add enough milk to create the desired consistency. I like to add a little fresh cracked pepper and onion powder, but that's purely optional. Serve with mashed potatoes or french fries and hot coffee. Keep on truckin'. Country Fried Steak with Pan Gravy 3-4 cube steaks Gravy 1. Mix flour, cornmeal, onion powder, paprika and red pepper onto a plate or pie pan. 2. Stir together egg and milk 3. Heat oil in a skillet. While heating, dip the cube steaks in the milk and egg mixture, then into the dry mixture. 4. Lay steaks in the hot oil and cook throughly, 3-4 minutes per side depending on thickness. Do not crowd the pan. 5. Set steaks aside and cover with foil. Carefully drain oil. Gravy 2. When butter is melted and frothy, add flour. Stir to remove any lumps. 3. Add the milk until gravy is at the desired consistency. Add more flour if too thin. Add seasonings. 4. Spoon hot gravy over steaks and enjoy. |
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