Chicken Fried Steak aka CFS

Ok, ok, ok.  Gotta do the CFS.  Also known as "Chicken Fried Steak."  In Texas, this is unofficial State Dish.  Can you guess what the official dish is?

CFS is similar to a German Schnitzel.  It is not chicken, but it is fried.  ;)  You may even hear of it referred to as "Country Fried Steak" in other areas of the country, but never in Texas.  It is Chicken Fried Steak, or just straight up C-F-S.

It is mostly always served with cream gravy and mashed potatoes.  Yum!  Here is my take on the dish!  Now, you may ask why mine is so important.  Well, I'll tell you.  It's the corn starch.  :)

Get your cubed steak from the fridge.  Get your plastic Ziploc or place each piece between two pieces of saran wrap and BEAT! Use your meat mallet or a heavy bottomed saute pan/skillet and BEAT!
"Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it.  No one wants to be defeated."  

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit for later.

Once you have beat your meat, go ahead and prepare your flour mixture and your egg mixture (in separate containers).

Here I have added my corn starch, all purpose flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix well! Next, add your three eggs, buttermilk, salt and pepper to a bowl.  Beat those eggs!  

"Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it.  No one wants to be defeated."

Go ahead and heat your cast iron skillet (if you do not have a cast iron skillet, use the heaviest skillet you have) and add enough Crisco to melt to a 1/2 inch of fat.  If you do not have shortening, fill your cast iron with canola oil to where it goes up the skillet about 1/2 inch.  Heat oil to 375 degrees (about halfway from medium to medium high heat).  When you drop some of your flour in there and it sizzles, your oil is ready.  Or take the stick part of a wooden spoon, stick it in the oil.  If bubbles form around the wooden stick, you are ready.  If your flour just sinks, or no bubbles form on the spoon, let it heat longer (or just check with a thermometer). ;)

Ok, go ahead and lightly dredge your pieces in flour.  Just lightly here.  Shake off all the excess, as much as you can.  Dip your pieces with one hand in the egg mixture and make sure it is completely covered in the eggs.  Take it and then put it back in your flour mixture and with your other hand, coat the steak completely.  Give a little shake and put each piece off to the side and let each steak set up for about 15 minutes before adding to the oil.  Once you are finished breading the last one, the first one should be ready to go in the oil.

Making CFS is never pretty. It's one of the messiest things to make. See?

Remember to NEVER over-crowd, or stuff, your pan! Take the steak and gently lower it into your hot oil.  Let it cook away.  The steak will lower the temp of your oil at first. It's ok.  Just let it stay there until you see the sides start to get nice and golden brown, THEN you can flip.  This picture shows little pieces that had broken apart since my meat was so tender. No biggie.

It will probably only take the 2nd side about 4 minutes as the first side can take 8-10.  

Pull the steak out and drain it on a baking rack over a sheet pan. Add the next piece and repeat until you have all your steaks cooked.  Add the sheet pan to a 200 degree oven to keep warm as you make your gravy.

Scoop out any burned pieces of breading from your skillet.  Leave the good stuff in there!!!!  That's what makes the gravy DELISH!  Remove some of the oil until you have just about 5 tablespoons of oil left in your pan.  Just eyeball it.  You want a thin layer of oil and drippings in the bottom. Start with 4 tablespoons of flour and whisk into your oil.  If it looks like the consistency of toothpaste, you are good!  If it is still too runny, add one tablespoon of flour at a time until you get a paste.  Let it cook about 2 minutes.  

Then, add one cup of chicken stock or broth.  Whisk, whisk, whisk!!!  Get all the lumps out.  If it is still lumpy, add a splash more until it is thick, but smooth.  Then, start adding your milk.  Add about 1/2 cup at a time, and whisk.  Keep adding milk until your gravy is the consistency you like.  I like mine a little thicker.  SALT and PEPPER here!!!!  It is going to need a lot of salt and pepper.  Keep adding and keep tasting until it tastes like good ol' gravy!!!

Serve your steak with mashed potatoes and your homemade gravy spooned all over both.  Serve with a side of your favorite veggie!  My family adores this dish!!!  This might take some practice, just as fried chicken does.  But, go with what you think is good.  I am just giving you a guide here.

Recipe Card

4 cubed steaks from your grocery.  (Look in the packaged meat section.  See above to identify what they look like.  If you have any doubt, ask the butcher/meat counter)

Flour Mixture:
3/4 c. corn starch
2 c. all purpose flour
1 TBSP. kosher salt
1/2 TBSP. ground pepper
1 TBSP. garlic powder

Egg mixture:
3 XL eggs or 4 large eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
couple of dashes of hot sauce

About 1.5-2 cups of Crisco or canola oil. (Until you have fat that is no more than 1/2 inch in your pan -- eyeball it. All pans are different sizes.)

Gravy:
5 tablespoons of the reserved oil from frying
4-5 TBSP. flour
1 c. chicken broth/stock
1c. - 3c. milk
salt and pepper to taste