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.
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| 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:
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| 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.
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| 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:
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| 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. |
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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.
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| 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.
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| Some people would probably cut off that extra fat on the side. I don't. |
Plate up!
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| It's almost pretty before that gravy abomination. |
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| 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
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