coating/breading problem

Sometimes it seems that the simple things throw me more than the complex. Case in point, I'm not getting the chicken fried steak to come out the way I want. The way I make mine is roll cubed steak in seasoned flour, dip in egg wash, and roll again in flour, then fry in about 1/2 inch of veg oil. It comes out almost like a letter inside an envelope and when eaten the letter and envelope seperate. I think that I have identified the problem. As the cube steak cooks it gives off steam ( the steak is quite juicy,) and the coating puffs up slightly. So how do I get the coating ( it must be crisp ) to stick to the steak? Any input would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

[foodnfoto]

You may try skipping the first flour step. Since cube steaks are usually scored in such a way as to encourage breading to stick, just try dipping in egg (thin the beaten egg with a tablespoon of water), then coating in seasoned flour or dry breadcrumbs. You may also reduce the amount of oil in which you fry the steak.

You may want to pat the steaks dry first before dusting it w/ flour. this enables the flour to adhere to the meat and not the juice on the meat. It also reduces the steaming inside of the breading when it is being cooked in oil. deepfrying might help since it would cook all sides simultaneosly instead of one side at a time. This reduces the chance of blood surfacing to the top while in a pan and ruining that side of the breading.
Good luck,
David

I have tried skipping the first flour coat, it does indeed help the coating stick better but the coating is quite soggy. I've not yet tried patting the cube steaks dry before coating. I'll try that. I've tried deep frying but that didn't work, probibly because all the juices turn to steam and push the coating way. I will try patting dry, coating and then deep frying in one test and also try pan frying but with less oil. I can't wait. There is nothing in this world that I would rather do than work in my kitchen. Thanks.

I have tried skipping the first flour coat, it does indeed help the coating stick better but the coating is quite soggy. I've not yet tried patting the cube steaks dry before coating. I'll try that. I've tried deep frying but that didn't work, probibly because all the juices turn to steam and push the coating way. I will try patting dry, coating and then deep frying in one test and also try pan frying but with less oil. I can't wait. There is nothing in this world that I would rather do than work in my kitchen. Thanks.

[Nick.Shu]

if the coating is too soggy, you maybe attempting to cook at too low a temperature.

By the same token, there are many points to consider -

are you trying to cook too much steak in comparison to the coating? - possibly the steak is too thick for the method of cookery.

is the steak fresh or cooked from frozen? - freezing would increase the amount of retained moisture and ergo, would cause this effect to occur.

Maybe try cornflour instead of wheat flour as your dip.

Give it a go and let us know.

Patting the steak dry before the egg wash is a big step in the right direction. Thanks David Chenelle. I've not yet tried deep frying. As to the right temp for pan frying and the thickness I think I'm ok here. Do they have chicken fried steaks down under? The cubed steak ( machine tenderized ), is normally an inferior cut and is about 5/8" thick, weighing 4-5 oz. I've been using fresh unfrozen meat but your thought about frozen gives me an idea. It just might be a good thing to freeze/squeeze out more juices. As to the cornflour, it might help but I don't know if it would fit the traditional style of chicken fried steak. Worth a try anyway. I'm eating so much of this stuff that I'm getting sick of it.

[adenoma]

As a displaced southerner I am inordinately fond of chicken-fried steak. Here in NYC I can get both beef and pork cubed steaks. Here's how I do it. After drying the steaks thoroughly with paper towels, I use a 1-inch paintbrush (I use these instead of pastry brushes) to brush the steaks with beaten egg white. Then I lay them out on a rack to rest until the egg white becomes "tacky." At that point I'm ready to bread them, either with self-rising flour, self-rising cornmeal (what our Aussie friends call cornflour), or a combination of the two, plus salt and plenty of white pepper. I put the breading mix in a plastic bag and then shake the steaks one at a time until they are thoroughly coated. After another rest on the rack for the breading to "set" on the steaks, I fry them in an oval sautee pan about 13 inches in length, using about 1/4 inch of a bland oil (to which I may add some bacon grease if I have it on hand) heated to just below the smoking point. These little steaks are about 1/4 inch thick, and they brown and cook through very quickly. After removing them to keep warm on a plate, I use the remains of the breading mix to construct a peppery white gravy with 2 teaspoons of the remaining oil in the pan and as much milk as necessary. Mashed potatoes (not the garlic variety) or buttermilk biscuits go beautifully with this.

[Kimmie]

Wanna tell me which part of what animal does chicken steak come from? Hey don't knock me, I'm from Quebec.

Kimmie It's not chicken steak. It's a beef steak ( usually a round ), that is tenderized and in the states is called a cube steak. It is run through a tenderizer twice. What you end up with is a piece of meat that has many many perforations but still holds together, just barely, as one single piece. The name chicken fried comes not from the meat but rather from how it is cooked --- like fried chicken. Many of the tastiest American dishes come from the southern U.S., where poor folks had to survive on things that others, more well off, would not eat. The result was a whole array of wonderful dishes: red beans & rice, hush puppies, crawfish etouffe and of course chicken fried steak, to name just a few. I personally find the history of food to be a facinating topic. Red beans, for example, was a dish prepared by housewifes on Monday, wash day. Since she was going to be scrubbing laundry all day, a real back breaker, she did not have the time to cook dinner also. She still had to feed a hungry husband and kids she started dinner right after breakfast by throwing the soaked beans, ham seasoning, onions, grn pepper, bay leak, salt and of course several types of pepper and water in a big ole pot, coverit and put it on the back of the stove. Eight hours later -- heaven. Some time after W.W. 2, fewer and fewer women made this dish but it had become so ingrained in the population as a traditional monday dish that nearly every restaurant in New Orleans serves red beans and rice with smoked sausage and fresh french bread for lunch. Oh man, that's eatin.

Kimmie It's not chicken steak. It's a beef steak ( usually a round ), that is tenderized and in the states is called a cube steak. It is run through a tenderizer twice. What you end up with is a piece of meat that has many many perforations but still holds together, just barely, as one single piece. The name chicken fried comes not from the meat but rather from how it is cooked --- like fried chicken. Many of the tastiest American dishes come from the southern U.S., where poor folks had to survive on things that others, more well off, would not eat. The result was a whole array of wonderful dishes: red beans & rice, hush puppies, crawfish etouffe and of course chicken fried steak, to name just a few. I personally find the history of food to be a facinating topic. Red beans, for example, was a dish prepared by housewifes on Monday, wash day. Since she was going to be scrubbing laundry all day, a real back breaker, she did not have the time to cook dinner also. She still had to feed a hungry husband and kids she started dinner right after breakfast by throwing the soaked beans, ham seasoning, onions, grn pepper, bay leak, salt and of course several types of pepper and water in a big ole pot, coverit and put it on the back of the stove. Eight hours later -- heaven. Some time after W.W. 2, fewer and fewer women made this dish but it had become so ingrained in the population as a traditional monday dish that nearly every restaurant in New Orleans serves red beans and rice with smoked sausage and fresh french bread for lunch. Oh man, that's eatin.

[Kimmie]

Thank you for the extensive lesson. Very interesting.

I also find the history of food to be a fascinating topic. And I make a mean crawfish étouffé...when I get my hands on the crawfish!



[ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

[chefjohnpaul]

Make sure your steak is not too thick and that your oil is hot. Breading does not seal in juices it just insulates and so if your steak is too thick and juicy then it will eventually be aborbed into your breading and make it soggy.

[fodigger]

Ric - Try using cracker crumbs. I used to have the same problem, but at the promting of my dishwasher(his Mom used to make it this way)I took the cube steak dredged in flour, egg wash and then med. ground cracker crumbs. Never had the problem again. Hope that helps.

Chef John Paul and fodigger, Thanks for the info. Cracker crumbs, I never would have thought of that. I'll try it soon. As for all of the other helpful suggestions, I've found them to be quite informative. Skipping the first flouring created a coating that sticks beautifully. Now if I can just get that serious crunch I'm looking for. I want a crunch that is every bit as crunchy as the most crunchy deep fried chicken. Once I get there I can concentrate on the flavor I have in my head.