Chcken Friiiiied Steak

What is more Texan - more deep down-home cooking - than chicken fried steak? It never occurred to me to try and make my own, but then I saw an episode of Good Eats and I changed my mind.

We bought 2 butt roasts at Costco for about $13 and I had a horrible experience with the first one, not realizing how tough a piece of meat it is. Thankfully before I butchered the second I saw Alton Brown's episode called "Cubing Around".

The meat was so flavorful. I was frankly pretty amazed by the outcome, especially because at many points in the preparation I had considerable skepticism. The breading tends to want to slide off, either before or during the frying, but it all worked out in the end. Our roast made nice little tidy pieces about 3 inches in diameter. A couple of these, veggies, and a baked tater and I felt like I was at a fancy rest-ahh-rant - like Luby's!

Chicken Fried Steak

2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.

Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.

A note - I didn't feel like buying a "needling device". I understand the purpose - make the meat more tender. So I poked the meat on both sides, first one direction, then the other, with a fork. I could definitely tell a difference in the slices where I was a little more diligent in my poking - much more tender meat.