Chicken-Fried Steak and Yellow Gravy

This has to be one of the classic sinful foods. A piece of red meat, slathered in batter, fried and covered in a rich gravy. Depending on the region you live, it can be known as "country fried" steak and be served with brown gravy.

I think this is another one of those simple foods that has fallen into mystique. Everyone says their Grandma, Great-Aunt Bertha or the hole-in-the-wall diner around the corner makes chicken-fried steak to perfection, but few people seem to tackle making it themselves. There's nothing secret or fancy about a good chicken-fried steak. Like most traditional comfort foods, it's simple to make and requires only basic ingredients.

You'll notice that this recipe doesn't really have any exact measurements. There's nothing exact about chicken-fried steak. The amount you need depends on the number of steaks you make, and how strongly you like them seasoned.

Chicken fried Ingredients:
-A cheap cut of steak, tenderized. Don't break out the ribeyes or the T-bones for a chicken fried steak. You want a slice of cheap, bottom-of-the-barrel chuck or round. You can either buy the steak intact and tenderize it yourself with a mallet, or you can buy it already-tenderized.
-eggs
-milk
-flour
-Worcestershire sauce
-salt
-pepper
-paprika
-garlic powder
-onion powder
-oil for frying

First, you need to season your steak. Douse each steak with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, on both sides. You don't want to soak it, just hit it with enough sauce to lightly rub over the surface. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with the spices -- not a thick crust, just a moderate dusting. Let the steaks sit in the seasonings for at least 45 minutes.

Next, you get your dredging materials ready. You'll need two shallow pans, or one plate and one pan. In the plate, put in a cup or two of flour. Season the flour with a few pinches of the spices, and mix well. In the pan, add an equal amount of eggs and milk. No measuring required, just eyeball it. Mix it well with a wisk or fork.

Now, you're ready to fry. Heat about a half-inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. This is a pan-frying technique, not deep frying. You don't want your steak to be completely submerged.

Take a steak, and dredge it in the flour. It may take a couple of turns to be sure its well-coated. From there, dip it in the egg mixture. Let it hang over the egg pan for a moment to let the excess drip off. Then, it's back to the flour. Dredge your steak in the flour one more time to make a nice crust. Put your steak in the frying pan immediately.

The most common problem I've heard about making chicken-fried steak is keeping the batter on. The trick is to fry the steak at a relatively low temperature. You want your oil bubbling steadily like any good fry, but not at an overly hot temperature. If your batter is coming off in the pan, the heat is too high. Turn down the heat and take it slow. Be patient.

Unlike traditional steaks, chicken-fried steak should be cooked until its well done; completely cooked through. I pan-fry my steak for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Don't go flip-flopping the steak all over the place, either. Ideally, you should only turn the steak once during the entire cooking process. If your batter is burning on one side before the meat is done, the oil is too hot.

Drain your finished steaks on paper towels. If you have a big stack of steaks to fry, store the finished steaks in a warm oven to keep them hot while you prepare the rest. Like any fried food, they should be served as soon as possible.

This steak is traditionally served with either brown or cream gravy. But if you're feeling like something a bit different, try this yellow gravy. It's an oh-so-delicious, insanely rich variation on the traditional cream gravy. Rather than being started from pan drippings like most gravies, this gravy gets its flavor and light yellow tint from butter. Yes, butter. I've had it at a few restaurants, and had to replicate it at home. It's amazing on chicken-fried steak. Sure, it's fattening. But seriously, c'mon. You're already eating a fried hunk of red meat. Might as well go the whole nine yards. You can break out the salad recipes tomorrow.

Yellow gravy ingredients:

1 stick of butter
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper, to taste
dash of tumeric (optional)

Take three tablespoons of the butter and melt it in a saucepan or large frying pan over low heat. You can also melt it in the microwave and then add it to the pan. When you're melting butter in an empty pan, always use low heat. Unlike oil, butter tends to burn very quickly. You want to keep the butter bright yellow. If your butter turns brown, the pan's too hot. Throw out the butter and start over.

When they butter is melted, add the flour and turn up the heat to medium. Stir the flour and butter mixture well, to make a roux. You want a light-colored roux for this, so it only needs to cook for a minute or two...just long enough to get rid of the raw flour taste.

When the roux is done, stir in your milk. I like to use a wisk for this. Turn up your heat to medium-high to get the milk bubbling. Add the rest of the butter and let it it melt into the gravy. Your gravy should have a nice light yellow tint. Season with salt and pepper. I also add a dash of tumeric. It adds a very slight additional zip of flavor to the gravy and enhances the yellow color. Heat the gravy, stirring constantly, until its nice and thickened. Serve immediately.

I like to serve my steak with garlic mashed potatoes and corn. Mmmm.