Chicken Fried Steak

            

            My first go at the Pioneer Woman’s cookbook was trying her recipe for Chicken Fried Steak.  I will admit, that I was super pumped to make this recipe, but simultaneously very nervous that it was too difficult for my current abilities.  In the end, my desire to be able to both prepare and enjoy a chicken fried steak won out.

            The preparation for this dish was surprisingly easy, and it was kind of fun to get my hands a little dirty coating the steaks.  The only real stumbling block I hit was needing a bit more time to thoroughly cook the steaks.  I poked into them when she suggested I remove them from the heat and they were a bit too rare for my liking.  In fact, I would say that I probably ended up doubling the recommended cooking time. 

            When the steaks were done, and it was time to make the gravy I really started shaking in my Pioneer Woman boots…The steaks were one thing, but I really thought that I might never in my lifetime prepare a homemade gravy.  As you can tell from the photos, it was a bit thick as I got a little flour-happy, but when the ingredients formed themselves into gravy I was yelling upstairs like a madwoman, “Honey!  The Pioneer Woman taught me how to make GRAVY!  I CAN make gravy!”

            This meal was a huge hit with Chris, and I recommend you give it a try if you want to feel like you have really achieved something in your kitchen.  However, I beg you, go easy on the flour!

Slainte!

Recipe:

-3 lbs cube steak

-2 large eggs

-1 ½ cups milk, plus 2 cups for the gravy

-2 teaspoons seasoned salt, such as Lawry’s

-3/4 teaspoon paprika

-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

-1 ½ teaspoons black pepper

-1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil for fying

Preparation:

-Begin with an assembly line of dishes for the meat, milk-egg mixture, and flour mixture, with a clean plate for the breaded meat.

-Mix the flour, seasoned salt, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper.  Stir gently.

-Lightly season the meat with salt and pepper.

-Dip into the egg mixture, turning to coat

-Dip into the flour mixture, turning to coat

-Dip again into the egg mixture

-Dip again into the flour mixture

-Place on clean plate

-Repeat until all meat pieces are prepared

-Heat the oil in a large skillet, place the meat into the skillet, cooking approximately 2 ½ minutes per side (like I said, it took me a bit longer)

-Remove to a paper-towel lined plate and keep warm

-After frying the meat, pour off the grease into a heat proof bowl.  Without cleaning the pan, return ¼ cup of the grease back to the pan, allowing it to heat up.

-Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over the grease.  Whisk together

-When the mixture turns a golden brown, add the 2 cups of milk, whisking until it is the desired consistency

Enjoy!