When you think about it, if there’s any senselessness here, the blame lies with the term “fried chicken”, which is as responsible as any dish for conflating battering with frying. Frying doesn’t necessitate battering - all “fried” means is that the steak is cooked in a pan at lower heat than if it were sauteed. Simply calling it “fried steak” wouldn’t accurately describe it. Fried chicken got there first, won the name game, and demanded tribute from chicken fried steak. The probable reason it’s not simply called “fried steak” is two-fold:įried chicken gained popularity in America well before Austrian and German immigrants started batter-frying beef instead of the veal they’d traditionally used for schnitzel. You take a steak, and you batter & fry it in a manner similar to fried chicken. Honestly, I think the name makes perfect enough sense. The name is too confusing.” That's from a non-Texan, but many Texans agreed with the sentiment the only reason we’re not just as confused is that, as children, we were introduced to chicken fried steak long before we started caring whether the names of anything made sense. “I'd eat my own leg off the bone if it was fried, but I still don't know what a chicken fried steak is. Reason 1: People don’t understand what it is Then I proceeded to refute those rationales point-by-point, leaving naysayers with no ground to stand on, except of course in the comments section, where there’s always ground to stand on. ![]() Moan about the lack of chicken fried steak, and you’ll get “Why would anybody eat that?”.īecause the world needs chicken fried steak now more than ever, I decided to round up opinions from both Texans and non-Texans on why chicken fried steak hasn’t become a thing anywhere north of Oklahoma. Bitch to your friends that “There’s no good Tex-Mex up here,” and they’ll say, “You’re just stuck up, there are some great Mexican restaurants up here.” And while they’re clearly wrong (starting with the fact that they don’t know the difference between Tex-Mex and Mexican food), at least they’re only insulting you, not the cuisine. It’s not just chicken fried steak’s absence that’s painful it’s the way that it’s mocked as a redneck abomination any time a Texan complains about not being able to find it in his new home. Serve the gravy over the steaks.Sadly for Texpats like myself, this meaty morality tale hasn’t spread nationwide the way other regional comfort foods like chicken & waffles have. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.Īdd the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. ![]() Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices.
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