In the south, it’s no secret that we love our fried food. Anything battered and fried is automatically a staple in our diets. Growing up, there was one dish in particular that I just couldn’t get enough of. That’s right…Chicken Fried Steak. Now the name may be a little misleading because there’s actually no chicken present in the dish. It’s simply called that because instead of using chicken (chicken fried chicken), you use a nice piece of cube steak. And the best part about cube steak is that it’s pretty inexpensive so making this meal wont break the bank.
What you’ll need:
- 1.5 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that’s been extra tenderized)
- 3/4 cups whole milk
- 1 large eggs
- 1 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp all purpose seasoning
- 1 tbsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Gravy:
- 1/3 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 3 to 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
The Steaks
Step 1: Prepare your flour mixture. Add the all purpose seasoning, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to the flour and mix thoroughly. Next, add the egg to the milk and whisk together.
Step 2: Season your cube steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. 
Step 3: Set up an assembly line in this order: Steaks -> seasoned flour mixture -> egg/milk mixture -> clean plate. First, place the steak in the flour mixture. Then transfer to the egg/milk mixture and then back into the flour and onto the clean plate. This will give you a nice thick batter for your steak.
Step 4: In a large cast iron skillet or pan, heat your oil until it just starts to smoke. Add in your butter a give everything a quick stir. Then, one by one, add in your steaks and cook on both sides until they are golden brown. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil.
The Gravy
To me, you can never have enough gravy in your life. There’s really no exact recipe for gravy so just use your instincts when making it. If it gets too thick, add a little milk. If it’s too thin, add a little more flour.
Drain off the excess oil leaving around 1/4 cup of grease in the pan and heat it over medium-high heat. With the same flour you used for the steaks, start adding it in a few tablespoons at a time and whisk until you get a thick golden brown paste. Next, add in your milk 1 cup at a time whisking constantly. Once your gravy begins to thicken, season with salt and copious amounts of fresh ground black pepper. If it becomes too thick, add in more milk to thin it out a bit.
Serve over a bed of mashed potatoes with a generous helping of gravy!
If I could eat this every night, I totally would. But that probably wouldn’t be the best choice health wise. But if you’re looking for some good southern comfort food, then this is definitely the way to go! Try it out and let me know what you think!
- 1.5 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that's been extra tenderized)
- 3/4 cups whole milk
- 1 large eggs
- 1 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp all purpose seasoning
- 1 tbsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 3 to 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Prepare your flour mixture. Add the all purpose seasoning, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to the flour and mix thoroughly. Next, add the egg to the milk and whisk together.
- Season your cube steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Set up an assembly line in this order: Steaks -> seasoned flour mixture -> egg/milk mixture -> clean plate. First, place the steak in the flour mixture. Then transfer to the egg/milk mixture and then back into the flour and then onto the clean plate. This will give you a nice thick batter for your steak.
- In a large cast iron skillet or pan, heat your oil until it just starts to smoke. Add in your butter a give everything a quick stir. Then, one by one, add in your steaks and cook on both sides until they are golden brown. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil.
- Drain off excess oil leaving around 1/4 cup of grease in the pan and heat over medium-high heat. With the same flour you used for the steaks, start adding it in a few tablespoons at a time and whisk until your get a thick golden brown paste. Next, add in your milk 1 cup at a time whisking constantly. Once your gravy begins to thicken, season with salt and copious amounts of fresh ground black pepper. If it becomes too thick, add in more milk to thin it out.
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