Southern Style Country Fried Steak. Directions only.

SGH · October 2014

@PNWFoodie‌
As you requested sister. A oldie but goodie.

Southern Style Country Fried Steak.
The long version:
2 pounds beef bottom round.
2 teaspoons salt. It doesn't matter what kind, just use the one you like.
2 teaspoon black pepper. Or my personal preference, I teaspoon of black and 1 teaspoon of cayenne.
1 cup all-purpose flour. Be sure it's "all purpose". Just does better in my estimate.
3 whole eggs, beaten/stirred.
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth or stock.
1/2 cup whole milk

Cut the meat with the grain (not against) into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge/coat the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, with your tenderizer of choice until each slice is about 1/4-inch thick give or take a little. I use a hammer to tenderize. Once tenderized, dredge/coat the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and then in the flour again. Allow the meat to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking to relax and soak up the coating.
Then you can deep fry or pan fry. It's your choice. This is one time that I prefer pan frying over deep frying. Ain't often as I usually prefer deep frying but the batter holds up better in the pan to me. When I deep fry them I fry between 350-375 degrees. When I pan fry I use a medium heat. You don't have to get fancy here. I find that plain Crisco works like a charm. Good luck sister and I hope that you enjoy.
I will post the SGH version soon as well. It eliminates the need to tenderize.

SGH · October 2014

@PNWFoodie‌ Bump...... For sister foodie⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

PNWFoodie · October 2014

Bookmarked and VERY excited, my friend! I never would have thought of bottom round...I've always heard cube steak, whatever that is. I see this in my future for sure! Thank you, my friend.

JRWhitee · October 2014

Thanks @SGH I have been wanting to try this as well.

Nanook · October 2014

I'm confused........what do I do with the milk and broth??

Skiddymarker · October 2014

@SGH - This is also a GWN version for country fried steak - the key is the sliced with the grain, not against it. Tenderizer of choice for me is a Jaccard. We tend to use an eye of round roast, makes it easier to get larger pieces, the smaller outside pieces cut with the grain are great when used in Korean style BBQ.

The only difference in the recipe we use is to soak the meat in buttermilk for a couple of hours after tenderizing mechanically and before the seasoning.

@PNWFoodie - cube steak is often the same cut, run through the tenderizer by the butcher, sometimes they are sold as minute steaks. It works for Country Fried, but texture is not near as good as the cut with the grain that SGH suggests, IMO.

henapple · October 2014

@PNWFoodie‌ ...try chicken too.

Eggcelsior · October 2014

Nanook said:

I'm confused........what do I do with the milk and broth??

Agreed. Also, You state that you tenderize the meat with a hammer but then the last line states that you don't tenderize in the "SGH veersion". This part is confusing as this whole recipe is purported to be the SGH version, since you are posting it.

Skiddymarker · October 2014

@Eggcelsior - the posted version is just Southern Style CFS, @SGH has his own version that will be coming soon that does not need tenderizing. As he would say, we are standing by.

@Nanook - once the steaks are floured and fried, like fried chicken, the chicken broth and milk is mixed with a little more flour to create a gravy that is served over the CFS. Some folks use some of the frying oil or bacon fat to start a roux, add a little flavour and texture to the gravy.

To keep the confusion to a minimum - this whole post might have been better handled as a PM.

Eggcelsior · October 2014

@skiddymarker that is not indicated anywhere in the post. With no link, this just appears to be his own recipe. Plus, I have never heard of putting chicken broth in the gravy as one is supposed to use the pan drippings. I suppose that if you deep-fry you could add the broth but that is what saving bacon drippings is for. Lastly, self-rising flour is better because it gives a crispier crust, due to the baking powder. I add the baking powder to AP flour to create the same thing.

PNWFoodie · October 2014

@everyone This is one recipe, given in kindness because I asked and others expressed interest as well (I think I may have been the only one to hound until I got it, though.

) If your recipe varies, or you have additional tips, please feel free to add, as I'm sure we can all benefit from it.

Skiddymarker · October 2014

@Eggcelsior - solution to this, @SGH quoted an Alton Brown version, if I googled it correctly...looks pretty much the same to me, except for a few more instructions.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chicken-fried-steak-recipe.html

SGH · October 2014

@Eggcelsior‌ @Skiddymarker‌
This is not my version. It is the one that my mother has used for years. It comes from Bell's Best volume 1, see addendum #12. It is a excellent recipe in its on right. I merely tried to state that at times I do use this recipe myself as it is a excellent one. And when I do I use it, I use a meat hammer to tenderize.
When I do the SGH country fried steak method, the mechanical tenderizing method is neither used or needed.
I looked at the link above. It is close to what I posted but not the same. I think the author got the idea from Bell's Best as it was published long before his. Much longer before his. I hope this clears any confusion on this matter. Here is the said hammer and book for a visual aid and farther clarification. This is the book that the above recipe came from. Not from Alton Brown.

SGH · October 2014

@PNWFoodie‌
Sister please see above response for recipe clarification.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Southern Style Country Fried Steak. Directions only.

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