I learned this from watching my mother, so it's more of a method than a recipe. The meat comes out tender, and the coating doesn't fall off. You get meat and some crispy breading in every bite.
1 top round steak
salt
ice water
flour
pepper
milk
For the meat:
Cut the round steak into serving size pieces. Use the tenderizing side of a heavy duty meat mallet to pound the meat to about 1/4" thick. Place the tenderized meat in a bowl of salted ice water and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
When ready to cook, squeeze as much of the water/brine from the meat as possible (really squeeze ) and dredge the meat in a mixture of flour and black pepper (no salt). Press the flour down into the meat to get a heavy coating. You can also use the meat mallet to work the flour down into the meat if you prefer that method.
Heat about 1" of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil is hot, cook the meat in batches until golden brown and cooked through.
For the pan gravy:
Pour off the vegetable oil, saving the drippings and a little oil. Over a very low heat (I have electric, so I have to take my skillet off the burner to let it cool down some.) add some flour to make a roux. Cook the roux until it turns a golden brown, being very careful not to scorch it. Add some milk and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until it's to your liking. Taste and add some salt if needed.
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