Family Favorites...Chicken Fried Steak

  I finally did it. Made perfect Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy. The recipe is from the small cookbook Southern Living Best Comfort Food Recipes. I have tried making this on and off through the years finally giving up until I saw this recipe. The picture looked so good that I thought I would give them one more try.

  Now I want to warn you that this makes a mess (at least I did). Dirtied enough dishes with the mashed potatoes and all that I don’t know how often I will make these again, but the results were worth the mess. This method of making the cream gravy was spot on. No lumps, great flavor and even I who really don’t like cream gravy thought it was very good. The breading stayed on which I have had problems with before and they were not the least bit greasy.  I think the temperature of the oil was just right. I bought cubed steaks from the butcher at our local Fareway store who explained the difference in steaks to me. They were so tender you could cut them with a table knife.  I made half the recipe and it was a great plenty for three people. I will post the full amount of the recipe as given. I did serve corn with these, just no room on the plate, so put it in individual custard cups.

 All in all, if you like chicken fried steak do try these. 

Chicken Fried Steak

2 ¼ tsp salt before breading 

1 ¾ tsp ground black pepper divided

6 (4 - oz.) cube steaks

38 saltine crackers (1 sleeve), crushed

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour divided

½ tsp. Baking powder

½ tsp ground red pepper

4 ¾ cups milk, divided

2 large eggs

3 ½ cups peanut oil (I used vegetable oil)

1. Sprinkle ¼ tsp each salt and black pepper over steaks. Combine cracker crumbs, 1 cup flour, baking powder, 1 tsp. Salt, ½ tsp. Black pepper, and red pepper. Whisk together ¾ cup milk and eggs. Dredge steaks in cracker crumb mixture; dip in milk mixture and dredge in cracker mixture again. Pour oil into a 12 inch skillet; (I used my cast iron chicken fryer) heat to 360° (Do not use a nonstick skillet.) Fry steak in batches. 10 minutes. Turn and fry until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack on a jelly-roll pan. Keep steaks warm in a 225° oven. Carefully drain hot oil, reserving cooked bits and 1 Tablespoon drippings in skillet.
2. Whisk together remaining ¼ cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 4 cups milk. Pour mixture into reserved drippings in skillet; cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until thick. Serve gravy with steaks and mashed potatoes.Favorites