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Chicken Fried Steak

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Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Pounded thin, breaded thick, smothered in cream gravy. Your cardiologist doesn't need to know about this one.
Mike

Ingredients  

For the steak
  • 4 cube steaks (about 1.5 pounds total)
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • vegetable oil for frying
For the cream gravy
  • 3 tablespoons pan drippings (from frying)
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • salt and lots of black pepper

Method
 

Step 1: Set up the dredging station
  1. Mix the flour with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with buttermilk. Season the cube steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
Step 2: Double-dredge
  1. Dip each steak in the seasoned flour, shake off excess, then into the egg-buttermilk mixture, then back into the flour. Press the flour in firmly the second time. This double coating is what gives you that thick, craggy crust that shatters when you cut into it. Let the breaded steaks rest on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes so the coating sets.
Step 3: Fry
  1. Heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers and a pinch of flour sizzles immediately, it's ready — around 350°F. Fry the steaks two at a time, about 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown. Don't crowd the pan or the temperature drops and you get soggy breading instead of crispy. Transfer to a wire rack and keep warm in a 200°F oven while you make the gravy.
Step 4: Make the cream gravy
  1. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the frying oil, keeping the browned bits in the pan. Sprinkle flour over the drippings and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes until the roux turns golden. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 5 minutes. Season generously with black pepper and salt. The pepper is non-negotiable here. Good cream gravy should have a visible amount of black pepper in it.