Ingredients
- 4 cube steaks, about 1/4 pound each
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- Canola oil for frying
For the gravy:
- 1/4 cup oil and pan drippings
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1.5 to 2 cups whole milk
- Table salt and black pepper to taste
Get Your Oven Ready
Heat your oven to 200F – this keeps the steaks warm while you make gravy.
Season and Bread the Steaks
Season both sides of each cube steak with salt and pepper.
Set up two shallow dishes. In the first, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, seasoned salt, and black pepper. The cornstarch makes the coating extra crispy.
In the second dish, beat the eggs and milk together.
Take one steak and press it into the flour mixture – really push it in with your palms so the coating gets into all those tenderized grooves.
Dip in the egg mixture, let excess drip off, then back into the flour. Press hard again – you want a thick coating that’ll get super crunchy.
Set on a plate and repeat with the rest.
Fry the Steaks
Pour ~1/2 inch of canola oil into a large skillet. Heat over medium-high until a pinch of flour sizzles immediately when dropped in – that’s ~350F if you have a thermometer.
Slide one steak into the oil. It should bubble like crazy around the edges.
Fry for ~3-5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and fry the other side ~3-5 minutes.
Move to a wire rack and stick in your warm oven. Fry the rest one at a time – crowding makes them steam instead of crisp.
Make the Gravy
Pour off all but ~1/4 cup of oil and drippings from the pan. You want all those brown bits stuck to the bottom – that’s flavor.
Drop heat to medium and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk constantly while it cooks into a roux.
Let that roux cook for ~3-4 minutes until it turns light brown and smells nutty.
Pour in 1.5 cups milk while whisking hard. It’ll look lumpy and wrong at first – keep whisking and it smooths out.
Let it bubble for a minute or two. If it’s too thick, add more milk. Too thin? Keep cooking.
Once it’s gravy consistency, hit it with plenty of salt and black pepper. Country gravy should have enough pepper that you can see it.
Serve It Up
Pull the steaks from the oven and plate them.
Spoon that gravy over top – don’t be shy, you want it swimming.
Serve with mashed potatoes or biscuits to soak up all that gravy.
Diner Style Chicken Fried Steak
Ingredients
- 4 cube steaks about 1/4 pound each
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- Canola oil for frying
For the gravy:
- 1/4 cup oil and pan drippings
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1.5 to 2 cups whole milk
- Table salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200F.
- Season cube steaks with salt and pepper.
- Mix flour, baking powder, cornstarch, seasoned salt and pepper in shallow dish.
- Beat eggs and milk in separate dish.
- Dredge steaks in flour mixture, then egg mix, then flour again, pressing firmly.
- Heat 1/2 inch oil in large skillet over medium-high until shimmering (350F).
- Fry steaks 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Transfer to wire rack in warm oven.
- Pour off all but 1/4 cup oil/drippings.
- Whisk in flour over medium heat, cook 3-4 minutes until light brown.
- Gradually whisk in 1.5 cups milk until smooth.
- Simmer until thickened, adding more milk if needed.
- Season gravy generously with salt and pepper.
- Plate steaks and smother with hot gravy.
