Chicken-Fried Steak with Gravy

Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond from her cookbook The Pioneer Woman Cooks

This is our family’s favorite comfort food meal of all time.  It gets better reviews from Izzi and CeCe than a tenderloin does and it is made with round steak!

3 pounds cube steak
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups milk, plus 2 cups for the gravy
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1/3 cup for the gravy
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
¾ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
½ cup canola or vegetable oil for frying (We use olive oil)

Begin with an assembly line of dishes for the meat, milk-egg mixture, and flour mixture (flour mixed with the seasoned salt, paprika, cayenne and black pepper)…with a clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.

Lightly season a piece of meat with salt and pepper, then dip it into the egg-milk mixture.  Flip to the other side to coat.

Next, place the meat on the plate of seasoned flour.  Turn over to coat thoroughly.

Now place the meat back in the egg/milk mixture, turning to coat.

Finally, dredge in flour one more time.  This repetition will create a nice thick crust-the signature quality of chicken-friend steak.  And if you do it correctly, your hands will be a mess.

Place the breaded meat on the empty plate until ready to fry and repeat the process with the remaining pieces of meat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is sufficiently heated fry 3 pieces of meat at a time.  Cook on one side until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 ½ minutes.  

Turn over and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the other side is golden.

Remove to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm.  Repeat until all the meat is cooked.

Now it is time to make the gravy!  

After frying all the meat, pour off the grease into a heat proof bowl.  Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add ¼ cup grease back to the pan.  Allow the grease to heat up. (I add butter if I don’t have enough grease)

Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over the grease.  Using a whisk, mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden brown paste.  This is known as a ‘roux’ and you want the roux to attain a deap, rich color. If the paste seems more oily than pasty, sprinkle in another tablespoon of flour.  Whisk again and check the consistency.

After a couple of minutes the paste will start to turn golden brown.  That’s when it’s ready.

Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups milk.

Whisk to combine, then let the gravy come to a slow boil.  The gravy will thicken gradually, but if it seems thick at first, add splashes of milk as needed.  The total cooking process should take 5 to 10 minutes. Generously season with salt and pepper, tasting to ensure that it’s seasoned adequately.  Under seasoned gravy is one of life’s great sacrileges.

Place the warm meat on a plate with a heaping pile of mashed potatoes.  Drizzle with gravy.