At my wits end... need some help from my Fellow 'Hiders. Chicken Fried Steak!

[sirhrmechanic]

Ok... so I love Chicken Fried Steak. If it's on the menu, I am ordering it. The ONLY reason I ever go to a Cracker Barrel is because they have a decent Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy.

For the life of me I cannot make it at home... and failed again tonite. Yuck, still tastes like frying oil. I'm going to have to eat licorice or Kale to get the taste out of my mouth.

I know... I'm a Yankee. I have no business making Chicken-fried Steak. It's probably more secret among you Southern Boys than the Nuclear Codes or where Dent's Gold is...

But for the love of all things holy, would some of you guys post some actual recipes and cooking methods that work? Everything online recipe-wise is utter bullshit and never works. So there must be some secrets or tricks that no bimbo working in "Martha Stewart's Kitchen" could possibly fathom. Though Martha Stewart has a great tutorial on how to make a Prison Shiv Coozy. I am no stranger to Southern Cooking from Hush Puppies to Carolina Pulled Pork off a whole hog. But I cannot get Chicken Fried Steak to work. Ever.

Anyway... Chicken Fried Steak recipe thread. HELP!

Sirhr

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Cubed steak. Dredge in flower then egg then seasoned, salt and pepper, flour. Into hot, really hot oil, until brown.
The hot oil seals so you don't get that soggy oil taste.

 

[n2ishun]

Cubed steak. Dredge in flower then egg then seasoned, salt and pepper, flour. Into hot, really hot oil, until brown.
The hot oil seals so you don't get that soggy oil taste.

yup.
Just remember to double dredge in flour.
Some paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, along with the salt and pepper in the second dredge will probably make you happier.

 

[MtnCreek]

Egg whisked in bowl with milk or buttermilk.
If cubed steak is about the size of your hand, cut in half.
Mix self rising flour, salt, black pepper and poultry seasoning. Add a little fine ground cayenne if you like.
Coat in flour mix, soak in egg/milk, the coat again in flour mix. Needs to go in the oil while flour is still dry - same applies to frying chicken.
If pan frying, don't overfill with oil. Start oil hot enough, then reduce if needed.
Transfer to dish covered with papertowels.
After resting on towels, you can put them in a warm oven while finishing up meal.

If cooking fried okra, add some cornmeal to the flour mix to bread the okra.

 

[lash]

^^^Wut they said^^^

Now I’m hungry, damnit!

 

[MtnCreek]

*Really important - flour needs to be dry when going into the pan. Do Not bead until it's going in the pan.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

*Really important - flour needs to be dry when going into the pan. Do Not bead until it's going in the pan.

Is there an oil temp? Or is that done by 'feel?' I'll use a damn laser thermometer if I have to!

Sirhr

 

[Porksboy]

I miss The Old Hickory House Chicken Fried Steak.

 

[jMarine]

I dredge in egg and buttermilk blend and also add a touch of cornmeal to my flour

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Take a pinch of the flour and sprinkle it over the oil. It should immediately boil and brown.
Just something that you gotta know. I can't help you with an exact temp.
Edit to add: your steak needs to be at room temperature. You don't want the oil to cool from putting cold food into it

 

[MtnCreek]

Is there an oil temp? Or is that done by 'feel?' I'll use a damn laser thermometer if I have to!

Sirhr

Bought a fry thermometer once. Used it to parkerize.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Also... can this be done with regular steak, sliced thin? Or is cubed-steak a necessity? All the little crevices, etc.? I've tried both...

Keep the stuff coming. The dry flour is an excellent tip!

Sirhr

 

[forrestgump01]

Cube steak unless you want the best chicken fried steak ,which will be cubed deer.

For batter/seasoning I do a bowl of half flour , half corn meal and add spices to your desired preference.

Dip in milk first, drop in batter and coat , then dip in egg and coat in batter again .
Important..... . 2 coatings - milk and egg separate . Milk first , egg second .

Deep fry in skillet medium heat for 3-4 minute's, flip and 3-4 more minute's and done .

 

[MtnCreek]

Will say this on temp, I cook cubed steak at lower temp than deepfrying. Fwiw

 

[jMarine]

Is there an oil temp? Or is that done by 'feel?' I'll use a damn laser thermometer if I have to!

Sirhr

Heat your oil to about 365. You can stick a wooden match in the oil when you think it’s hot enough. It’ll flare up for just a second. That’s how you know it’s perfect temp!

 

[mheimer_45]

My mom always sprinkled water off her hands on the oil. If it spattered it was hot enough.

 

[jMarine]

Take a pinch of the flour and sprinkle it over the oil. It should immediately boil and brown.
Just something that you gotta know. I can't help you with an exact temp.
Edit to add: your steak needs to be at room temperature. You don't want the oil to cool from putting cold food into it

Excellent point in bringing steak to room temp! This is a must! Also, beat your meat!! No really, hit it with a tenderizer and get it all evened out

 

[Porksboy]

Now you have me craving my moms fried chicken. Made in a cast iron skillet the way God intended.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

My mom always sprinkled water off her hands on the oil. If it spattered it was hot enough.

That's what I've been doing. Kicking a bit of water or batter in and if it immediately starts to bubble, GTG.

I make wicked good Hush Puppies. So I think my oil is ok. But it's the CFS that I can't get right.

Sirhr

 

[Bigfatcock]

Chicken fried steak won’t fry north of Georgia. Just the way it is.

 

[Maggot]

Cubed steak. Dredge in flower then egg then seasoned, salt and pepper, flour. Into hot, really hot oil, until brown.
The hot oil seals so you don't get that soggy oil taste.

Skip the egg. Why do people use egg? Best way to ruin good chili rellenos is to dip the poblano peppers in egg. Mexicans just stuff them and bake, I love the taste of the poblanos but the egg ruins them.

 

[mheimer_45]

That's what I've been doing. Kicking a bit of water or batter in and if it immediately starts to bubble, GTG.

I make wicked good Hush Puppies. So I think my oil is ok. But it's the CFS that I can't get right.

Sirhr

I’ve always left it in another minute or two vs other ppl. But then again I like my meat without a heart beat.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

What kind of oil are you using? No fancy yuppie stuff allowed. Just plain old cooking oil.

That's what I've been doing. Kicking a bit of water or batter in and if it immediately starts to bubble, GTG.

I make wicked good Hush Puppies. So I think my oil is ok. But it's the CFS that I can't get right.

Sirhr

 

[Tempest 455]

The Bear Pit is the 1st place to come for medical, legal, family and cooking advice!

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

We ain't talking Mexican food. That's why.

Skip the egg. Why do people use egg? Best way to ruin good chili rellenos is to dip the poblano peppers in egg. Mexicans just stuff them and bake, I love the taste of the poblanos but the egg ruins them.

 

[Maggot]

Chicken fried steak won’t fry north of Georgia. Just the way it is.

Liar, liar, cocks on fire.

Best CFS I ever had was in Virginia.

 

[morningsun]

I eat a lot of chicken fried steak. I just take it out of the package, coat it with flour, and fry it in a very hot cast iron skillet using olive oil and butter.

After the steaks are done I stir in 1/3 cup of flour, 3 TBLS of butter, and 3 cups of milk for the gravy. And a lot of pepper.

I use this seasoning on the cube steaks.

MORTON® NATURE'S SEASONS® SEASONING BLEND - Morton Salt

www.mortonsalt.com

 

[Nik H]

First world problem for sure...most serious discussion I have seen in the Pit for a while

 

[mheimer_45]

Skip the egg. Why do people use egg? Best way to ruin good chili rellenos is to dip the poblano peppers in egg. Mexicans just stuff them and bake, I love the taste of the poblanos but the egg ruins them.

Don’t skip the egg. A little milk with the egg and dip in crumbled saltines. With any flavor you desire.

 

[lash]

The Bear Pit is the 1st place to come for medical, legal, family and cooking advice!

Well Cha! Where else you gonna get the best of everything?

 

[Maggot]

We ain't talking Mexican food. That's why.

Same principle I just dont care for chicken embryos.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

As long as it's below the Mason Dixon

Liar, liar, cocks on fire.

Best CFS I ever had was in Virginia.

 

[lash]

Same principle I just dont care for chicken embryos.

Sounds like a deep seated psychological issue.

 

[Bigfatcock]

Liar, liar, cocks on fire.

Best CFS I ever had was in Virginia.

It was imported from Georgia, or a state west of the Carolinas and the state of vagina.

@sirhrmechanic has proven my statement with repeatable experiments. It’s science.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Over easy egg on top of a big greezy bacon cheeseburger is the best

Same principle I just dont care for chicken embryos.

 

[MtnCreek]

Chicken fried steak won’t fry north of Georgia. Just the way it is.

"Chicken fried steak"

Dead giveaway. I'll be watching you!

 

[hlee]

Chicken fried steak is good. Chicken fried venison blackstrap medallions, however, are where it’s at. But, they are easy to overcook.

The hint about the paper towels to soak up the oil is good. But, dropping them into a fry basket (or similar device) to drip into a secondary container keeps the steaks from sitting on an oil soaked paper towel, which defeats the purpose of the towel.

 

[lash]

As long as it's below the Mason Dixon

 

[buffalowinter]

For technical reasons I won't go into, and you probably wouldn't understand anyway, Chicken Fried Steak can't be prepared north of the 37th parallel.

 

[morningsun]

We call it Country Fried steak up here. So as not to confuse it with cubed possum.

 

[n2ishun]

Skip the egg. Why do people use egg? Best way to ruin good chili rellenos is to dip the poblano peppers in egg. Mexicans just stuff them and bake, I love the taste of the poblanos but the egg ruins them.

I 'spose that's why you call yourself maggot.
Everyone knows you use either a hatch chili or a anaheim chili for rellenos.
Poblanos are best left to dry on the vine and then use to make enchilada sauce.
You take a bit of tamale masa and whip with egg for the relleno batter.
Exactly why do you think you can buy canned whole anaheim chilis and not canned whole poblano chilis ?

How far away from Mexico are you again ?
I used to live in SoCal, home of the best mexican food, and I also used to snowbird about 30 miles from mexico in southern Az.
Do you honestly think Taco Bell is mexican food ?

BTW, oil temps....300-325F will do nicely.
Use corn oil and if you want the coating SUPER crispy, add panko crumbs and use 1/2 oil 1/2 shortening.

 

[ArTeeKay]

Dear Lord, I forgot there are fudds in the kitchen too... Ok, @sirhrmechanic, I'm gonna lay some wisdom on you, about the chicken fried steak you're after.

Numero uno, you don't need cubed steak. You can take any steak you like, and beat the shit out of it with a meat tenderizing mallet, until it's under a half inch thick, preferably 3/8", and proceed as normal. I like a new York for my chicken fried steaks, but sirloin, ribeye, hell, you can bread and fry a pork chop this way and it'll work. What you're doing with the meat mallet is physically breaking apart the connective tissue in the meat to make it tender. You're gonna fry your steak a little more done than you would on a grill, so the mechanical tenderization is critical for good eatin'.

Numbah 2, season that bitch an hour or two or even overnight ahead of when you want to cook it. Anything more than 5 minutes but under an hour is bad juju. There's some science going on here, but you're essentially trying to balance a sodium gradient through the whole of the meat. I can explain deeper, or you can just do it. Kosher salt only at this stage, imagine a dusting of snow on a parking lot is what you're looking for. Leave it uncovered on the counter or in the fridge. Doesn't matter. Contrary to @DarnYankeeUSMC and his advice, doesn't need to be room temp. You're cooking in 375⁰ oil, 30⁰ difference between the fridge and your counter doesn't mean squat if you're frying in enough oil (more on this later).

Item three, breading. Milk or egg doesn't matter as much as what is actually a triple dredge through seasoned flour. Season this flour well with salt and pepper. Make sure you make plenty of flour mix, otherwise you'll end up with crumbly bits of flour on the outer crust of your steak, which is a surefire way to get burnt bits. Order of operations is as follows: steak goes in flour, liquid, flour, liquid, flour. Each layer makes the next one stick right. If you're crazy, you can go as far as to beer batter the motherfucker, as long as you drag the steak through flour first.

Step the fourth, cooking the bitch. Again, contrary to popular wisdom, there is a best option here. 4 parts canola oil, 1 part carefully rendered bacon fat, (bacon fat is optional but does good things for flavor and mouth feel), enough to completely submerge the steak in, in a heavy cast iron pot or pan. Remember when I said earlier that the temp of the steak doesn't matter in comparison to the temp of the oil? This is where that comes into play. You need enough thermal mass between the oil and your cooking vessel to keep the total temperature of the system close to your cooking temperature, which should be between 350⁰ and 375⁰ farenheit. A laser thermometer is your friend here, achieve system equilibrium quickly, or you're gonna start scorching your oil, and that taste is awful. Then, lay your FRESHLY breaded steak into the pan away from you, avoiding splashes. Cook to your desired level of golden brown and delicious, then serve and eat immediately. My personal preference is the color of the skiff of maple syrup left on your plate after the pancakes are gone, but you do you.

Now I can write a similar treatise on the gravy that goes with your steak, but that's beyond the scope of your original question, and so will just let it ride for the moment. But if you follow the above recipe diligently, you'll have reasonable results, and then can modify processes to your own tastes.

 

[MtnCreek]

We call it Country Fried steak up here. So as not to confuse it with cubed possum.

Possum can be stringy as hell. We didn't have a cuber, so just like the dog chew it a while before cleaning it.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

All good stuff…

Fyi, oil I am using is corn oil from the biggest jug Mazola sells.

Is that considered fancy?

Sirhr

 

[MtnCreek]

Dear Lord, I forgot there are fudds in the kitchen too... Ok, @sirhrmechanic, I'm gonna lay some wisdom on you, about the chicken fried steak you're after.

Numero uno, you don't need cubed steak. You can take any steak you like, and beat the shit out of it with a meat tenderizing mallet, until it's under a half inch thick, preferably 3/8", and proceed as normal. I like a new York for my chicken fried steaks, but sirloin, ribeye, hell, you can bread and fry a pork chop this way and it'll work. What you're doing with the meat mallet is physically breaking apart the connective tissue in the meat to make it tender. You're gonna fry your steak a little more done than you would on a grill, so the mechanical tenderization is critical for good eatin'.

Numbah 2, season that bitch an hour or two or even overnight ahead of when you want to cook it. Anything more than 5 minutes but under an hour is bad juju. There's some science going on here, but you're essentially trying to balance a sodium gradient through the whole of the meat. I can explain deeper, or you can just do it. Kosher salt only at this stage, imagine a dusting of snow on a parking lot is what you're looking for. Leave it uncovered on the counter or in the fridge. Doesn't matter. Contrary to @DarnYankeeUSMC and his advice, doesn't need to be room temp. You're cooking in 375⁰ oil, 30⁰ difference between the fridge and your counter doesn't mean squat if you're frying in enough oil (more on this later).

Item three, breading.

WTF is this kosher bullshit?

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Possum can be stringy as hell. We didn't have a cuber, so just like the dog chew it a while before cleaning it.

I’ve had possum.

It’s one of those meats that as you chew on it, it gets bigger.

Sirhr

 

[sirhrmechanic]

WTF is this kosher bullshit?

@Bender …

Sirhr

 

[Nik H]

All good stuff…

Fyi, oil I am using is corn oil from the biggest jug Mazola sells.

Is that considered fancy?

Sirhr

Absolutely bougie

 

[buffalowinter]

It’s one of those meats that as you chew on it, it gets bigger.

Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!No one's going to comment on this?

I'll start. "That's what she said!"

 

[MtnCreek]

I’ve had possum.

It’s one of those meats that as you chew on it, it gets bigger.

Sirhr

I'm the product of wnc and etn. On the wnc side, it wasn't uncommon to see a caged possum or two in the barn being cleaned out. The cube steak advice I'm giving was passed down from the etn side. Anybody that's spent much time in the South knows the best vittles come from etn.