Old Fashioned Chicken Fried Steak & Gravy

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
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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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Luckytrim

Grill Master
Gold Site Supporter
cooksie; this needs to be an entry in the Iron Chef; Steak; It's a winner !
.and it appears exactly as Mom used to make it !
 

chowhound

New member
Boy! That's some kind of coating! It looks gerat.
I think chicken fried steak is going to be on my menu this week now.
 

Jim_S

Resident Curmudgeon
Gold Site Supporter
That's exactly the way my grandmother fixed chicken fried steak and it is great!

Only difference was mashed potatoes instead of rice and fried okra for a side.

Jim
 
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lesley

New member
3713250110_c8d9ab1baa.jpg



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.


3713247178_a5b0a22d63.jpg

This looks delish!!
 

PanchoHambre

New member
that looks awesome... I have not had a good CFS in ages... .

I just picked up an old lodge chicken pan though (couldn't help it... I was at the flea market and... well I have a problem I will have to make some CFS to break it in when I get everything up and running.
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
I made this tonight, Cooksie!!!! I'm not a good cook and this is the first time I've ever made Chicken Fried Steak, so I messed up a little. I've never done a brine so I'm pretty sure I used too much salt. The steaks I had in for 3 hours were a little salty, although not so salty that I had any leftovers! But they came out so tender, you could cut them with a fork! And the breading was just as you said - stuck perfectly to the meat and tasted fantastic! I've never made gravy before, either, and I bombed on that. I don't know where I went wrong but honestly, it didn't matter. We never eat gravy anyway(cuz I can't make it)! Anyway, I made 12 steaks for 8 people and there isn't one left! I made mashed potatoes, a salad and a banana pudding to go with - I'm stuffed! Thanks so much for this one, Cooksie!
 

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Thanks Fisher's Mom for the review. :D:D I'm glad it worked out for you (except for the salt factor). Do give the gravy another try. It just takes a lot of stirring.

Thanks Pancho. Do take some pic's when you break in your new pan, and I can't wait to see pic's of your new kitchen.
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
Thanks Fisher's Mom for the review. :D:D I'm glad it worked out for you (except for the salt factor). Do give the gravy another try. It just takes a lot of stirring.

Thanks Pancho. Do take some pic's when you break in your new pan, and I can't wait to see pic's of your new kitchen.
I will definitely keep trying with the gravy, just cuz it looks so pretty on the chicken fried steaks! And I'm going to make them again tomorrow. I know this isn't a measurement-type recipe, but could you give me a rough idea of how much salt to how much water for the brine? I'm so excited about making it again!
 

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
I will definitely keep trying with the gravy, just cuz it looks so pretty on the chicken fried steaks! And I'm going to make them again tomorrow. I know this isn't a measurement-type recipe, but could you give me a rough idea of how much salt to how much water for the brine? I'm so excited about making it again!

I use roughly a teaspoon of salt for every 8 cups of water. We want pictures :mrgreen:.
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
I use roughly a teaspoon of salt for every 8 cups of water. We want pictures :mrgreen:.
OMG!!! That's why they were too salty! Let's just say I used waaaay more salt than that in the brine. Thank you, Cooksie! OK, I'll post pics, but y'all can't laugh at me if they don't have gravy on them. I'm not sure I'll master gravy by then.
 

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Cooksie & Fisher's Mom, There's nothing in the world like home-made gravy! :)

I like it too. I added some crumbled breakfast sausage to the last of mine and had it over biscuits. It was good, but I'm sure glad it's gone. Can't do that stuff too often.

We won't laugh, FM :lol:. Sometimes I'll skip the gravy and just use a little A1.
 

chowhound

New member
Keep giving the gravy making a try, Terry. One day all of a sudden your gravy will start coming out. The liquid's gotta be hot hot hot before you add the flour while whisking.
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
Thanks, y'all, for all the patient help. My DIL, newnork1978, was here today and we made this again. She made the gravy this time and it was lovely!!! (It was the first time she had ever made gravy, too!) I used the right amount of salt in the brine this time and the chicken fried steaks were delicious (and not too salty.) Here's the pics. The first is my DIL making gravy and the second is the finished plate:
 

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Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
LOL - believe it or not, there is nothing left! I think I got a lot of mommy points for this one!
 

PanchoHambre

New member
nice job FM I have never made CFS I do love it though and it is hard to find good round these parts

definitely on my list
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
Thank you. Ya'll are always so encouraging. Pancho, this recipe of Cooksie's is so easy and really, really good. I'd venture to say fool-proof even. It would be a good one to use for a first attempt.
 

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Thanks, y'all, for all the patient help. My DIL, newnork1978, was here today and we made this again. She made the gravy this time and it was lovely!!! (It was the first time she had ever made gravy, too!) I used the right amount of salt in the brine this time and the chicken fried steaks were delicious (and not too salty.) Here's the pics. The first is my DIL making gravy and the second is the finished plate:

Woo-Hoo, Woo-Hoo-Hoo! :thumb::thumb: I think FM has been holding out on us. Good job, FM, and good job on the gravy, newnork!
 
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