Chicken-Fried Steak: Chicken or Steak?

[fifi]

I have seen big pieces (overlap the plate) of round done at a friend's house. (I am in Aunt Minnie's camp. Too much trouble. Find a good place and order it. ) You have to use a full sized grocery bag and toss one piece at a time. You also waste quite a bit of flour but that is cheap.

[megaira]

How very odd and ironic that "Snopes" is mentioned twice in this thread and over at snopes.com, a thread is going on CFS:

and look, they're argueing over gravy too

I made CFS for hub the other night for the first time, going on what I saw in that particular thread (just noticed this one today) and another cookbook. The one thing I noticed is that times are a bit odd... does anyone have any cooking time suggestions for different thicknesses? I'd bought round steak sliced thin and it was really, really thin...so I ended up doubling it over and securing it (passed the narrow end through a slit in the wide end to make it stay) for a bit extra thickness before pounding it with the mallet. The single layer scraps I fried up just enough that they were browned on each side were terrific, the double layer pieces were slightly tough... I'm not sure if I cooked them too long, thereby shrinking and toughening the meat, or too short, not giving time for connective tissues to break down (wouldn't this only happen in a long braise though?).

The one book said "brown on both sides, then simmer 30 minutes" - simmering 30 minutes not only would have used up a crapload of oil, but I worried I might end up with a mudflap. They were in for probably about 5 minutes or so each.

[elyse]

THIRTY minutes? That's crazy.

[megaira]

well thank god, I thought so, but never having made it, wasn't sure exactly what to expect and no one anywhere else was mentioning actual times... one poster said "flip it, then don't touch it" and by the time I got around to making it, it was too late to post and ask her "don't touch it for how long?"

[wesza]

How very odd and ironic that "Snopes" is mentioned twice in this thread and over at snopes.com, a thread is going on CFS:

and look, they're argueing over gravy too

I made CFS for hub the other night for the first time, going on what I saw in that particular thread (just noticed this one today) and another cookbook. The one thing I noticed is that times are a bit odd... does anyone have any cooking time suggestions for different thicknesses? I'd bought round steak sliced thin and it was really, really thin...so I ended up doubling it over and securing it (passed the narrow end through a slit in the wide end to make it stay) for a bit extra thickness before pounding it with the mallet. The single layer scraps I fried up just enough that they were browned on each side were terrific, the double layer pieces were slightly tough... I'm not sure if I cooked them too long, thereby shrinking and toughening the meat, or too short, not giving time for connective tissues to break down (wouldn't this only happen in a long braise though?).

The one book said "brown on both sides, then simmer 30 minutes" - simmering 30 minutes not only would have used up a crapload of oil, but I worried I might end up with a mudflap. They were in for probably about 5 minutes or so each.

I hope that i'm able to clearify your impressions about Texas or Southern Style, "Chicken Fried SteaK's".

To put it simply they are nothing more then a unique type of American Beef Cutlet.

They aren't neccessarily expected to always be tender. But the Beef is traditionally suppossed to be Fresh Kill that evolved from the fact that in the days before everyone had refrigeration the wranglers or workers who anticipated enjoying this treat did not trust meats that weren't fresh killed. Thats why a Chicken Fried Steak that Curls during Cooking is the most favored piece to enjoy.

The real secret of preparing the beef is the skill of the Cook or Butcher who has the special skills using his Mallet. The closed Goumet Expertise with a Mallet in my opinion is that applied by the Chefs entrusted in preparing Fresh Abalone Steaks prior to cooking. They must have the expertise to pound out a thin slice of one of the naturally toughest pieces of any meat into a extrodinary delicious Steak. This is done by carefull pounding by feeling the Abalone, not tearing it apart, keeping it even and by feel and experience breaking down the musles and fibers keeping everything together.

With your typical Country Fried Steak each slice of the Top Round requires a slightly different approach to tenderizing. It mush be done carefully, especially trying to keep the whole piece evenly flattened so it will cook all over equal. Since Beef by it's nature may have different characteristics in it tissue as we all realize when you sometimes get a chewy small section in a Strip Steak, T-bone or any beef cut. But a good mallet person will generally bang it all together for your pleasure..

The soaking of the meat in its pre-breading and flouring is to allow the beef to relax and absorb from the milk and pepper the ability to let its natural juices blend together with its various coatings, retaining it's flavors.

Skipping to the actual cooking the object of proper preperation is to Cook the Steak only until all it's juices are absorbed into the coatings. It must be done under the correct heat that will allow a complete loss of the pink or red color prevalient in undercooked Beef, but never long enough to permit burning or even worst drying out, or cooking away the internal marriage of juices under the Breading. This is generally a quick process, achived by turning the meat several times during cooking to allow the juices to keep flowing into the center of the Steak.

After the Steak is cooked it's allowed to set for a short time and then is covered with the Gravy.

The result is a Genuine American treat. "Country Fried Steak".

Of course the more you cook this item the easier it becomes, and expect that your skill will aquire many admirers with plates, knifes, forks and napkins waiting for the results.

Irwin

[megaira]

Thank you Wesza... very informative.

After the Steak is cooked it's allowed to set for a short time and then is covered with the Gravy.

Hmm, I inadvertantly lucked out, I guess... I tend to have to really plan in order to get timing right, so naturally, the steaks were done before the mashed potatos and gravy and got a "rest" on a rack before serving.

Of course the more you cook this item the easier it becomes, and expect that your skill will aquire many admirers with plates, knifes, forks and napkins waiting for the results.

Hub says he'll be more than happy to be my guinea pig.

[Fresser]

Unfortunately one rarely the truly colorful Southern names of old any more, like this one from one of my favorite Faulkner novels: Admiral Dewey Snopes.

Hell, my old law firm, which is a well known "Southern" firm had these guys: Julian, who went by "Bo"; Amos, who went by "Buck"; and Nigle, who went by "Tex".

There's plenty of good ol' southern names around here. Not much good chicken fried steak, however.

I just can't see a law firm named, "Bo, Buck & Tex." Sounds like a Jeff Foxworthy joke.

On the other hand, I do remember seeing the following firm name:

Famisht, Famuched & Farblondjet

Attorneys for the Bewildered.

[jmcgrath]

I'm very much a Yankee and have never had a CFS that I enjoyed, probably because no one in New England knows how to make it. I recently ran across "The Gift of Southern Cooking" by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. This is my new favorite cookbook. I had friends over for dinner last night and made "Country Captain". It is roast chicken baked with a curried mirepoix. It was absolutely delicious, and a far cry from what ever I had considered southern cooking. I accompanied it with coconut rice and buttermilk biscuits from recipies also in the book.

For the record, my first experience with grits occurred some forty years ago at a diner in Fort Lauderdale while on spring break. I didn't quite know what to do with them and added some catsup for seasoning. My seasoning was not well received by the diner staff.

Jim

[Mayhaw Man]

I had friends over for dinner last night and made "Country Captain".

I love Country Captain. You often see it with raisins as part of the mix.

[jmcgrath]

I love Country Captain. You often see it with raisins as part of the mix.

The recipe I used called for currants. Yes, You can find them in the US. I intentionally didn't copy the recipe because I think the book is well both buying, and very much recommend it.

Jim

Edited December 23, 2003 by jmcgrath (log)