Chicken-Fried Steak
Tom Perini started as a chuck wagon cook. Ten years later, in 1983, he opened The Perini Ranch Steakhouse on the family spread in Buffalo Gap, not too far from Abilene. After twenty-five years, his business is still going strong. Tom has cooked all over the country, including the White House, and he still takes his 1850svintage chuck wagon to rodeos and other events throughout Texas. Chicken-fried steak is one of my all-time favorites, and I knew exactly where to go for a genuine rendition. Tom gave me permission to adapt this recipe from his book Texas Cowboy Cooking. He says, “Cream gravy is a must with chicken-fried steak.” No argument there, so I’ve included his gravy recipe too.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8
Ingredients
Cream Gravy
Preparation
Step 1
TO MAKE THE CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK: Flatten the beef out evenly with a mallet. Cut the meat into 8 pieces. In a wide bowl, stir together the milk, egg, seasoning salt, and pepper to make an egg dip. Dip the steaks in the egg dip, then dredge them in the flour; repeat the process. Cover the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed skillet with about 1/2 inch of oil and heat over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil spatters after you add a few drops of water, put in your steaks. Flip the steaks when the juices begin to surface and the bottom is brown and cook until done, about 10 minutes total.
Step 2
TO MAKE THE CREAM GRAVY: After frying the steak, let the drippings sit until the excess browned bits settle to the bottom of the skillet. Pour off most of the fat, leaving about 1/4 cup and the browned bits. Add the 3 tablespoons flour, stirring until well mixed. Place the skillet over medium heat and slowly add the cold milk, stirring constantly. Cook until the gravy boils and thickens, about 5 minutes. You may need more or less milk for your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the steaks with the gravy.
do it early
Step 3
Don’t. Any cowboy will tell you a chicken-fried steak needs to be fried up and eaten straight off the griddle.
tip
Step 4
Some like their steaks on the rare side, but apparently no cowboy wanted to see blood on his steak. The late Dallas-born cowboy expert Ramon F. Adams recorded this old cowboy saying, a response to a serving of rare beef: “I’ve seen cows get well that was hurt worse than that.”
