Southern Comfort · Free
Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy
Tenderized cube steak in a shatteringly crisp golden crust, smothered in peppery milk gravy. A Texas diner classic that eats like a hug on a plate.
****+
Prep 20 min · Cook 25 min
Method
Pat the cube steaks dry and season both sides lightly with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the black pepper.
Set up a breading station: whisk 1.75 cups of the flour with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and remaining salt in one shallow dish, and whisk the eggs with 1 cup of the buttermilk in another.
Dredge each steak in the seasoned flour, then dip it in the egg mixture, then press it firmly back into the flour a second time for a thick, craggy crust.
Set the breaded steaks on a wire rack and let them rest for 10 minutes so the coating adheres.
Pour the oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of about a quarter inch and heat it over medium-high to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Fry two steaks at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the crust is deep golden brown and the meat is cooked through to at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
Transfer the fried steaks to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep them warm in a low oven while you make the gravy.
Carefully pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the oil, keeping the browned crumbs in the skillet since they flavor the gravy.
Whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour into the hot fat over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes until it turns light tan and smells nutty.
Slowly whisk in the whole milk and the remaining half cup buttermilk, then cook, whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes until the gravy thickens; season with the remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper and salt to taste.
Set a steak on each plate and ladle the hot cream gravy generously over the top, then serve immediately.
Chef's tips
- The double dredge, flour then egg then flour, is the key to a crust that stays crisp under the gravy.
- Keep the oil steady around 350 degrees F; too hot burns the crust before the middle cooks.
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper is traditional in the cream gravy, so be generous.
Cooking times vary by equipment -- cook to temperature and to taste.
