Chicken-fried steak is beef, usually round steak, tenderized, then dipped in a mixture of egg and milk. Country fried steak is another name for the dish, often made without the egg batter. Just dredge in seasoned flour, without the egg coating. The dish is known as chicken fried steak because of the similar cooking method to fried chicken.

This recipe calls for cube steaks, but a good round steak will also do. Just ask your local butcher to run them through the tenderizer. You can tenderize them yourself with a mallet. (A suggested method is listed below for you.)

4 cube steaks, tenderized beef cutlets. (Follow Safe Food Handling Instructions)
    OR, that you've tenderized yourself (see next step)
Cut a 1-1/2 to 2 pounds round steak into 4 or 5 serving-size portions.
Place the cut pieces between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper.
On a strong surface, pound with a meat mallet until thin and tender.
1 large fresh egg, beaten, for dip.
1/4 cup of fresh milk for dip, check the expiration date.
1 1/2 cups, all purpose flour.
Cooking oil or melted shortening, as required.
1/2 teaspoon salt, plain or iodized.
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
1/4 teaspoon Paprika.
1 cup of fresh milk, (room temperature) for pan gravy.
1/2 to 3/4 cup of water, for pan gravy.

1. Beat together the egg and milk mixture and set aside.
2. Mix together the salt, black pepper, and paprika and sprinkle on both sides of beef cutlets. Add leftover spice mixture to the flour.
3. Dredge the chicken fried steak cutlets in flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika, shaking off the excess flour.
4. Then dip each cutlet in the egg and milk mixture, then back into the seasoned flour. (Your hands are going to get messy at this point in the recipe, or use a pair of metal cooking tongs.)
5. Set the coated cutlets aside on a piece of waxed paper. HINT: Save the extra seasoned flour for the gravy.
6. Heat the cooking oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Oil should be about a half-inch deep in the pan. Check the temperature with a drop of water; if it pops and spits back at you, it's ready for the chicken fried steak cutlets.
7. With a long-handled tong or a fork, carefully place each chicken fried steak cutlet into the hot oil. Cooking Caution: Protect yourself from the popping grease that may result when the moist cutlet enters the hot oil.
8. Fry cutlets on both sides, for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until goldish brown.
9. Reduce the heat to low, cover skillet and cook 4 or 5 minutes more, or until cutlets are cooked through.
10. Drain the hot cutlets on paper towels. Keep the chicken fried steak cutlets warm, while preparing the tasty pan gravy.

Pan Drippings Cream Gravy

After the chicken fried steak cutlets are removed from the pan, pour off the oil through a strainer. Leave about 1/2 cup pan drippings in the bottom of the skillet. Also keep as many of the browned bits from the seasoned coating, in the pan as possible. Return any browned cracklings from the strainer to the skillet before starting the gravy. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot.

Sprinkle slowly, 3 tablespoons of the seasoned leftover flour, from the chicken fried steak recipe, into the hot oil. Stir with a kitchen spoon, until the flour is lightly browned.

Gradually whisk in the cup of milk and a 1/2 cup of water, stirring constantly and mashing out any lumps. Lower heat, and gravy will begin to thicken. Continue cooking and stirring a few minutes until gravy reaches your desired thickness. Check the gravy seasoning. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.

Serve the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, your favorite garden vegetable, and corn bread, or biscuits. Serve the pan gravy by pouring over the chicken fried steak. Any extra gravy, can be mopped up with the biscuits. Enjoy this tasty dish with your family and friends.

Gravy Cooking Note:
Gravy making is the personal preference of the person doing the cooking...! Cream gravy is supposed to be thick, but if you think it's too thick, add more liquid, until you like it. Adjust the gravy seasonings to taste. It's that simple.

Return all vegetable and kitchen preparation scraps to your compost area. Recycle to our earth...!