[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Do you have a particular method?

I have a bunch of round steak that I can never come up with a good use for. That looks like a nice, crispy breading that would make for a damn fine chicken fried steak. I still don't know how to make pepper gravy that doesn't have sausage in it (I make a damn good sausage gravy so I suspect I could just sub in some lard for the fat from the sausage and be in similar shape), but I don't ever really try because I haven't found a CFS recipe that I like yet.

This was the first time I made this recipe and the method was a little different than I'm used to. But the key to the breading is mixing a little buttermilk into the dredge. It worked quite well! Best CFS I've made, I think. As for the gravy, this was literally just some of the fry oil for the steaks, flour, milk, salt, and pepper. Turned out pretty good!

My only complaint is the breading is completely separate from the meat after it cooks. I'd like to find a way to get a little more cling.

Not sure where the recipe originated - I got it from a friend in Texas whose self-proclaimed purpose on earth is to find the best chicken fried steak on the planet.

INGREDIENTS

For the Steaks:

4 long, thin sirloin tip steaks (about 2 pounds)
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 quarts peanut or canola oil

For the Gravy:

1/4 cup vegetable, canola, or peanut oil, for frying
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. For the Steaks: Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Place one steak in a resealable plastic bag. Using a meat pounder, rolling pin, or small skillet, pound steak out to an even 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining 3 steaks. Season steaks with salt.

2. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Whisk together egg and 2/3 cup buttermilk in a separate shallow dish. Whisk together flour, 2 teaspoons salt, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, baking powder, and cayenne pepper in a third shallow dish. Drizzle remaining 1/3 cup of buttermilk into seasoned flour and rub with fingertips until mixture is coarse like wet sand.

3. Working 1 steak at a time, coat well in cornstarch. Lift steak, shake off excess cornstarch, then transfer to egg mixture. Coat steak well in egg mixture, lift steak, letting excess egg drain off, then transfer to seasoned buttermilk-flour mixture. Coat steak well, pressing seasoned flour all over to help it adhere to the meat. Lift steak, shake off excess flour, and transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining steaks. Let steaks stand for 10 minutes.

4. Place oil in a large Dutch oven or wok and heat to 375°F over high heat. Carefully lift 1 steak and gently slide into oil. Cook, flipping occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer steak to a paper towel-lined tray and season with salt to taste. Repeat with remaining 3 steaks.

5. For the gravy: Transfer 1/4 cup of hot frying oil to a medium saucepan placed over medium high heat. Add flour and whisk constantly until mixture turns light brown, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Stir in pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; season with salt and additional pepper to taste.

6. Transfer steaks to plates, top with gravy, and serve immediately.