Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy

[Wayne]

I find myself with an unexpected day off, so I'm back in the kitchen. Today, it's a southern staple: chicken fried steak with gravy.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 4 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 2 tsp. black pepper, divided
• 4 (6-oz.) cube steaks**
• 2/3 cup finely crushed buttery crackers (such as Ritz, from 16 to 18 crackers)
• 1 1/2 cups, plus 3 Tbsp. all-purpose our, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups, plus 2 Tbsp. whole milk, divided***
• 3 cups vegetable oil

Preparation:

Season steaks:

• Preheat oven to 200°F.
• Stir together garlic powder, 3 teaspoons of the salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the pepper in a small bowl.
• Sprinkle 2 1/2 teaspoons seasoning mix evenly over both sides of all steaks.

Make breading bowls:

• Stir together crushed crackers, 1 1/2 cups of the flour, and remaining 3 teaspoons seasoning mix in a shallow bowl.
• Whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons of the milk in another shallow bowl until well combined.

Coat steaks:

• Heat oil in a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium to 325°F.
• Working with 1 at a time, dredge steaks in the flour mixture to coat; shake off excess.
• Dip into egg mixture; let excess drip off.
• Press in our mixture again to coat both sides completely.

Fry steaks:

• Carefully place 2 steaks in hot oil, and fry until evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (Adjust heat as needed to maintain oil temperature of 325°F.)
• Place on a paper towel-lined plate, and sprinkle with salt to taste.

Gravy:

• Drain fat from skillet, reserving 1/4 cup drippings and as much of the solids as possible.
• Return reserved drippings and solids to skillet, and heat over medium-low.
• Whisk remaining 3 tablespoons flour into drippings mixture.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbling and smells toasty, about 1 minute.
• Gradually whisk in remaining 2 1/2 cups milk. Bring gravy to a simmer over medium.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Stir in remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

**To make sure the breading adheres to the steaks, pat the steaks dry before dredging in flour, then let them rest after coating for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure to also check that your oil is hot enough before frying to help keep the coating in place.

***Buttermilk gives a slight tanginess to the egg mixture and add more flavor. Since you'll already be using milk for the gravy, adding a splash to the egg mixture is typically the easiest way to go, but feel free to swap for buttermilk if you have it on hand.

[Shawn]

Yum!