Recipe Background
Country Fried Steak: a heartwarming snow day creation with spiced flour.
Country fried steak holds a special place in my heart, forever linked to my first 'snow day' as a teacher. With a glorious unexpected day off, I decided to turn it into something memorable. I surveyed my pantry and found round steaks that I always keep handy. This felt like the right time to create a dish that my colleagues often raved about but I'd never tried myself. Starting with freshly ground pepper and kosher salt, I seasoned the steaks before nestling them into an egg and buttermilk bath. Watching snowflakes dance outside, I ventured into this culinary experiment that filled my kitchen with warmth and aromas that paired perfectly with the wintry scene.
As the oil shimmered in the pan, I took a moment to appreciate how the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper in the flour mix gave the steaks a vibrant hue—as if painting the flakes outside with culinary magic. The real trick, I found, lay in maintaining the oil temperature for that perfect golden crust. Tongs in hand, a light-hearted dance around the kitchen turned into a cheerful fry session. Once done, the steaks rested on a wire rack in the oven, akin to cozying up by a fireside.
Coming together with a rich gravy made from the reserved pan drippings, the whole day had an added reward: delicious comfort amidst the quiet serenity of that snow day. This simple ritual transformed my day off into an unexpectedly joyful cooking adventure; a delightful echo of the calm and coziness of winter in a single dish.
Ingredients
For the steaks:
- 1 1/2 pounds round steaks or pre-tenderized cube steaks
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided, plus more to taste
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 cup oil neutral-flavored, plus more as needed
For the gravy:
- 1/4 cup pan drippings reserved after making the country fried steak
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream optional
- 2 cups whole milk
- salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
- Flatten the steaks to a uniform 1/4-inch thickness.
- Season the steaks with 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- In a large flat-bottom dish, whisk together the eggs and the buttermilk.
- In a second large flat-bottomed dish, combine the flour, garlic, paprika, cayenne, and the remaining salt.
- Press both sides of the steaks into the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
- Dredge both sides of the steaks into the egg mixture, shaking off the excess.
- Set the steaks in the flour mixture a second time, ensuring both sides are well-coated, shaking off any excess but taking care not to pull off any of the coating.
- Over medium-high heat, heat a pan with the neutral-flavored oil until it is shimmering, ideally reaching 350 degrees F. The oil should fill 1/4-inch of the pan.
- Place the steaks one at a time in the hot oil and use a large metal spoon to transfer any excess oil in the pan to the top of the steak.
- Fry the steak until the edges turn golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Using tongs, turn the steak in the pan and cook until golden brown on the other side and cooked through at a minimum of 135 degrees F internally, about 2 minutes.
- Lift the fried steak out of the pan and allow the excess oil to drip off.
- Transfer the cooked steak to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.
- Repeat with the remaining steaks, making sure the oil remains hot.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the drippings in the pan, setting the remaining drippings aside in a glass or metal bowl until after the gravy is made, in case you need more.
- Add the butter to the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisking it with the drippings and the butter until it becomes golden brown. Add more flour if the mixture seems too greasy, and more drippings if the mixture seems too dry.
- Cook the flour and butter mixture until it is light brown, about 5 minutes.
- Combine the heavy cream and milk.
- Pour the heavy cream and milk mixture slowly into the mixture in the pan while constantly whisking.
- Continue to heat and whisk until the gravy reaches the desired consistency.
- Season the gravy to taste.
- Serve the steaks with the gravy.
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