Chicken Fried Steak

Cube steak must have been dirt cheap when I was a child because we ate it often when it was just my father and I, alone against the world. He was surprisingly an amazing cook for being a single dad and bachelor. He would chicken fry cube steak on the fly. Sometimes gravy was added and sometimes it was placed next to perfectly cooked artichokes. It was a rough childhood! Lucky for me, his love of bold flavors rubbed off on me. To this day, I put red pepper flakes in my breakfast fried potatoes. That was a staple in our house! He also made a goulash that was to die for. I doubt he has made any of our old standbys in a good fifteen years. He has a French girlfriend. From France! Enough said!!

I buy cube steak when it is on sale. I use it for The Fireman's Favorite Sandwich and it's great for a last minute stew or Beef Stroganoff. As it doesn't need to simmer all day like other cuts of meat. When I took it out today, I intended on making the old family favorite of Beef and Noodles. But a child saw the meat and quickly vetoed my dinner selection. The Tortured Teenager has a job busing tables for a very popular family restaurant. She serves tons of chicken fried steak and has eaten a ton of their biscuits and gravy (curse her for having a good metabolism!!!) BUT says my chicken fried steak and gravy are the best ever. Sweet right? No I didn't pay her!

Chicken fried steak

6 Cube steak (the tenderized variety)
1 pint Low fat buttermilk (I am trying)
Lawry's Season salt
Lemon pepper seasoning
Flour
3 eggs
Canola oil (or any oil except olive oil)

Heat oven to 300 degrees

Season BOTH sides of the cube steak with lemon pepper seasoning. Place into a 9x13 dish.
Cover with1/2 carton of buttermilk. Let marinade for 15 minutes.

Set up a typical breading station.


2 cups flour (at least...you may need to reload)
2 TB Lawry's Season Salt
Mix well

Mix the eggs with 2 TB water
Take a cookie sheet and cover the bottom with flour.
Cover the bottom of your frying pan with 1/4 inch oil. Heat on medium high for the entire time you are breading the meat. I don't use a thermometer. I know I should. I don't.

Take meat one at a time and dip first into the flour

Then the egg

And back into the flour

Place into the cookie sheet that it covered with flour (it's so it won't stick)
Do with all the meat
Now carefully place two of the steaks in the pan. I say two because you do NOT want to over crowd the pan. It takes it from frying to steaming. No joke.



It takes about four minutes per side. You are looking for crispy. Place onto a cookie sheet and into the preheated oven. Start on the remaining steaks. Placing cooked ones into the oven to keep warm. Personally I like to use two pans and do all the meat at once. It stays crispier that way. But tonight all my burners are occupied. Bummer! This will do.

Place on to homemade mashed potatoes. Tonight's are bland but it's because the meat and gravy are full of flavor. The Ballplayer isn't a gravy fan but the bland potatoes are his FAVORITE!!!! (milk butter and pepper)

Cover with gravy. You can find the recipe for the Gravy on yesterdays post!

Die a happy death. I know! But totally worth it!