Chicken Fried Steak - Big D Style

Well, first and foremost, I must extend a most heartfelt welcome to the Dallas chapter of the Drunken Galley.

New York was a blast, but it became evident that our drunken cooking shenanigans could not be contained by geographic or civil boundaries.  So what better way to reflect our expansion south-westward than a Texas take on a southern classic:  mouthwatering Chicken Fried Steak with greenbeans and mashed potatoes like you ain't seen.

I tried to make it look fancy... the lumpy gravy didn't help

You probably know chicken fried steak as a limp, skinny, chewy piece of steak smothered in gravy and drowing in powdered mashed potatoes and boiled canned green beans.  I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be like this! First and foremost, you will need some badass steaks:

I went with boneless ribeye, because it was on sale.  New York strip would work well too.

As with any steak you cook, you should pull it out of the fridge at least 45 min before cooking to let the meat come up to room temperature.  That way the steak will cook more evenly, and you won't be left with a cold, uncooked center.  Start heating up a pan with oil about 5-7 min before you throw the steak in.

Throw a couple small slices of onion in the pan.  When they start sizzling like so, the pan is hot enough.

Meanwhile, hit the steak with some seasoning.  I use a good bit of salt and coarse-ground pepper with habanereo, paprika and probably some other stuff:

Steal one of these from your local pizzeria and fill it with seasoning. Meat or veggies, you will get an even coating.  Screw some plastic wrap under the lid to preserve between uses.

Season liberally all sides of the steak.  When you have a 2-inch thick steak, you wnat to make sure you get those edges seasoned as well;  It will make a big difference in flavor.   Once you have a good even coating, and your oil is hot, throw that sucker in.  With thick steaks like this, you should cook it on its edge first, fat side down, so that you render out all that fat and start cooking the part of the steak that otherwise wouldn't see direct heat.

After about a minute on the edge, flip and repeat.  then lay the steak down flat and sear for 6-8 minutes.  Flip the steak and rotate in the pan so all parts of the steak touch the hotspots.  Use a spoon to baste the steak with the fat and oil from the pan.  That keeps it moist and keeps the top warm while the bottom cooks.  After another 5-7 minutes pull it out of the pan and set on a plate to rest, at least 15 minutes.  The steak will continue to cook internally for a few moments after pulling it from the heat, and letting it rest gives the juices time to juicify.  If you prefer your steak medium to well done, you can leave right now.  (put the steak in a hot oven if you must).

While the steak is cooking it's a good time to finish up the green beans and mashed potatoes, or whatever sides you choose.  For the greens, just throw them in the pan you used for the steaks.  You don't necessarily need to season them, just hit them with a squeeze of lemon juice to freshen things up and cut the rich flavor from the steaks. Throw the lemon in to cook as well;  caramelizing the lemon adds a bit of mellow citrus flavor, and it looks extra-posh:

The recipe for the tatoes will follow shortly.  As far as the gravy goes, white gravy is pretty simple.  just google it.  I screwed it up because I tried to wing it, but you're smarter than that. Once the steak has rested get your frying station ready.  Flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs, in that order.  Repeat for extra flaky crust.

Your oil should be hot by now.  Did I forget to mention that?

Since the steak is already cooked you only need to fry it for a couple minutes each side.  Just enough to get a nice golden brown color.  Once you have that, pull the steak out and get ready to carve.  You can let it rest on rack or paper towels for a couple minutes to drain off the excess oil.

Some people would probably cut off that extra fat on the side.  I don't.

Plate up!

It's almost pretty before that gravy abomination.

Google is your friend.

And enjoy!  I never did find out what wine pairs well with chicken fried steak, but the internet recommend Shiner Bock.  I think I went with Knob Creek bourbon.  And that about does it.  Like I said, look out for a crazy good mashed potatoes recipe in the next few days.  Ball's in your court Graham!

-Johno

Smothered Chicken with Dijon Cream Sauce

We're back!! After a prolonged sabbatical, John O and I have decided to revive The Drunken Galley.  We've been very busy in our time away from the internet.  John O has been roaming the plains of Texas, searching for the perfect bovine for his signature Turf and Turf dish, which consists of a 16oz T-bone and a 24oz porterhouse, all washed down with a bottle of 16 year Lagavulin and a cigar.  I on the other hand, have become the protege/successor of Guy Fieri and have been training in his Michelin Star rated Times Square restaurant.  I've been working on adopting his equally annoying/infuriating personality, and if you ask my sisters, I'm getting close!   Okay, enough of that!

Smothered chicken with a dijon cream sauce over pappardelle egg noodles.  This dish is great and it's quite refined, just like us!

Guy Fieri would be so proud

Part 1: Smothered Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Chicken, preferably 3 to 4 pounds and fresh off the farm
3/4 pound of shrooms.  Not the magic variety
1/2 cup of dry white wine for cooking and the rest of the bottle for you
1/2 cup of chicken broth
4 tablespoons of butter
A bunch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground mustard

I know that you're supposed to drink wine with classy meals, but let be honest, I'm not exactly the epitome of class, so I went with..... Dale's Pale Ale from the local bodega!  Brewed at Oskar Blue's in North Carolina and Colorado,  Dale's Pale Ale was first brewed by Dale Katechis in his bathtub while has was a student at Auburn University.

Ummm... Beeeer

So about the chicken.  I've started to cook most of my chicken this way instead of roasting it.  I think it is tastier and I get to say spatchcock.

First spatchcock/butterfly that bad bird.  If you don't know how to spatchcock, here is a link to a overly enthusiastic dude to help you learn to spatchcock.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppa1bxB89vg

Once spatchcocked, liberally season both sides with salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, and ground mustard.

Spatchcocked

Next, get your large cast iron skillet.  If you don't have one, get your head out of your butt and go get one!  These things are pure magic!  Throw the bird in the fridge, get in your car, and go buy one.

Once the cast iron is heated up, over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  Place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan and place a plate and a weight on top of the chicken.

That's a good lookin bird

The weight can be a brick, a few cans, anything heavy.  Being the total meat head gym rat that I am, I had some weights laying around, so I used one of them.  Let this cook for 25-30 min, until the skin is nicely browned and you have finished a beer or glass of wine.

The weight of the world...

Once nicely browned, pour off some of the fat, add 2 tablespoons of butter, flip the bird, and add a 1/2 cup of chicken broth and a 1/2 cup of wine. Also add the cut up shrooms. Replace the weight and let cook for about 40-50 min.  While you're out buying a cast iron pan, make sure to get a meat thermometer as well.  The internal temp should be about 165.

While the chicken is cooking, in addition to having another beer/glass of wine, you should be preparing the noodles and sauce.  Also, after the chicken is done, let the remaining sauce cook and reduce by half, you will use some of it for the sauce.

Part 2: The Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of shallots
1/2 cup of white wine, hopefully you didn't drink it all
1/2-3/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4-1/2 cup of the sauce that results from the smothered chicken,
2 tablespoons of dijon
1 tablespoon of basil, better be fresh
1/2 tablespoon of dill

Boil the white wine and shallots for a few minutes over high heat and let the liquid evaporate.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the cream and the sauce from the chicken, and let simmer for a few minutes.  As far as the amount, you can kind of play with this part.  If you aren't a fan of creamy sauces, add more sauce from the chicken and reduce the amount of cream added.  You can tweak it to your liking.  If we're being completely honest, I went too heavy on the cream this round.

Add the dill, basil, dijon, and let simmer for a few more minutes and let thicken.  Season to taste with ground mustard, salt, and pepper.

Creammyyyy

Step 3:

The pappardelle egg noodles

Egg noodles taste way better with meat than wheat noodles do.  Trust me, I've eaten enough to know these things.  As far as cooking them goes, they're noodles... If you don't know how to make noodles, you need to look in the mirror do some serious soul searching regarding your life decisions...



Now plate that sucker! Add some parsley to garnish, light a candle if you're with someone special, and poor yourself another glass of wine/grab a beer. Side note - if you set the mushrooms aside, don't forgot to add them..

Enjoy!