Chicken-fried steak does not need to be complicated. Pound the cube steak thin, season the flour harder than you think you need to, double-dredge it, and let the coating rest before it hits the oil. Finish it with a thick white pepper gravy and you have proper Texas comfort food.
Crispy double-dredged cube steak covered with thick white pepper gravy.
The crust on this one comes from a quick double dredge. The first flour coating gives the breading something to hold onto. The second coating builds the rough, craggy texture that fries up crisp instead of forming a thin, flat shell.
Season the Flour Heavily
Mix your seasoning directly into the flour, and use more than you think you need. Some of that seasoning stays behind in the bowl, and the buttermilk, egg, and frying oil all soften the finished flavor. The flour should look visibly seasoned before the steak ever touches it.
The dredging flour should be visibly seasoned throughout.
Keep the Gravy Pale
The gravy starts with equal parts fat and flour. Bacon grease gives it a deeper savory flavor, but butter, beef tallow, or another cooking fat will work. Lightly cook the flour to remove the raw taste, then add heavy cream and whole milk.
The main trick is knowing when to stop. The longer the gravy cooks, the darker it becomes. For a white country gravy, keep the roux pale and pull the finished gravy as soon as it reaches the thickness you want. It will continue to tighten as it cools.
Stop cooking once the gravy is smooth, pale, and slightly thinner than the final consistency you want.
Chicken-Fried Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- Cube steak
- All-purpose flour, enough for dredging
- PyroDust Steak Seasoning, or your preferred seasoning
- 1 large egg
- Buttermilk, enough to soak and coat the steak
- Peanut oil, for frying
Instructions
- Pound the cube steak thinner and to an even thickness.
- Mix the seasoning into the flour. Use more than you think you need.
- Beat the egg into enough buttermilk to coat the steak.
- Soak the pounded steak in the buttermilk mixture for about 10 minutes.
- Move the steak to the seasoned flour and coat it thoroughly. Shake off the loose excess.
- Return the steak to the buttermilk mixture for a quick dip, then coat it in the seasoned flour a second time.
- Set the breaded steak on a plate while the oil heats. This rest helps the coating set and stay attached during frying.
- Heat peanut oil in a cast-iron skillet to 325°F.
- Fry until the coating is crisp and golden and the steak is cooked through. Turn as needed, then drain before serving.
White Pepper Gravy
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease, butter, beef tallow, or other cooking fat
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- Salt, to taste
- Plenty of coarse black pepper
Gravy Instructions
- Melt the fat in a skillet over medium heat.
- Stir in the flour, breaking up any clumps. Cook lightly, just long enough to remove the raw flour taste while keeping the roux pale.
- Slowly stir in the heavy cream and whole milk.
- Season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
- Continue stirring until the gravy reaches the desired thickness. Remove it from the heat while it is still slightly thinner than you want because it will thicken as it cools.
Use the Same Gravy on Fries
The same white pepper gravy also works over fries, pulled pork, cheese, and jalapeños. The poutine-style plate below shows the lighter color you get when the gravy is pulled before it begins to brown.
The pale gravy on these loaded fries shows the color to aim for before extended cooking starts to brown it.
Serve the chicken-fried steak immediately while the breading is still crisp, then spoon the gravy over the top and finish with another grind of black pepper.
Flavor in a Handful of Dust.