Chicken Fried Steak

[pationate chef]

I have never tried to make chicken fried steak before. From the recipes I have read it is made in the same manner that you make fried chicken, but when I tried to make this dish the hot oil washed off most of the flour & the outer crust never developed. I think the juices from the steak released from the meat making the crust soggy. I did a flour - milk egg mixture and then flour again then letting it rest before frying it in a cast iron pan. I also used round steak tenderized with a meat mallet. Can anyone out there give me there thoughts or suggestions.

The pationate chef
rn24nc3@bellsouth.net

[phatch]

How hot was your oil? Did you have too much milk in the wash?

It can help to put the breaded product in the freezer for 15 minutes. This sets the crust enough that it cooks together before it can slip off.

Phil

[KAYLINDA]

I agree with Phatch...the freezer helps a lot.
Although we use a fresh cube steak rather than round steak, and deep fry ours, we bread it once...put it in the freezer...and when frozen we bread it two more times by running water over it. Works great for us...the breading always looks nice and the meat is always tender.

[travelchick]

I agree with Kay, cube steak is really best choice for chicken fried steak.

And ditto, Phil, too much milk in the wash will dilute the egg too much.

[octaveman]

I do exactly what my Grandmother taught me 30 years ago. I use cube steak and for the breading, I use crushed saltine cracker's. Dip the meat in the egg and dab in the saltines. It's always been a favorite comfort food of mine.

Cheers,
Bob

[lutzzz]

I LOVE a good "Chicken Fry" steak... but

Has anyone had any experience with those Jaccard 48 pin hand meat tenderizers? They cost about $35 or so and have excellent "testimonials" on the net.. but I never really trust those.

Here in Seattle where I shop, I can often times get round steak on sale for about $1.99 per lb,, but the market sells their "cube steak" (which I figure is probably a round steak run though one of their tenderizing machines) for $3.69 or so.

On rare occasion I've been able to talk them into running the round steak through their machines but usually they are too busy (I know, I should change markets ... So my thinking is, IF that Jaccard tenderizer really worked, I could buy the round and do it myself.. would take a bit of elbow power but I don't mind that. Pounding it, even with one of those spiked hammers doesn't really do the trick. I've tried the edge of a saucer, etc.. but anyway, on the surface it looks like those little sharp needle things penetrating the meat would break it down rather well..

Would I be wasting my money?

[gonefishin]

Hi all,


I almost feel as I may be in the minority here, but I use a nice strip steak pounded down to 1/4"...and heavy cream for the gravy as well.

mmmm.....I can taste it now


take care,
dan

[riverrun]

It has been my experience taht chix fried steak doesn't get an egg wash on it. The recipies i have comprised and made invove it getting dredged in flour with white pepper and salt then let sit and repeat. Then fry and your gravey is made with the burnt crispies in the bottom of your pan by making a roux and a bechemel sauce. I love southern food and this is one of my favorites. It always works for me!