Chicken-Fried Steak
Chicken-fried steak is a thin cut of beef, breaded like chicken and fried in a cast-iron skillet, then buried in pan gravy. It comes from the American South, where cheap round steak is pounded tender before cooking. Here the egg wash carries smoked paprika, and bacon drippings fry the meat and start the gravy. Whisking the flour to a pale blonde before adding broth and cream gives a gravy worth pouring over mashed potatoes.
Instructions
Pour 2 tbsp of the bacon drippings into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and heat it over medium-high. To test the heat, flick a drop of water from a wet hand into the pan. If it sizzles, the pan is ready.
Trim the steaks. Beat the eggs with the pepper, salt and smoked paprika, then dip each steak in the egg.
Dredge the steaks thoroughly in flour, coating both sides.
Lay the steaks in the hot pan, arranged in a triangle so they fit. Fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
Move the cooked steaks to a 200°F oven to keep warm.
Pour the remaining drippings into the pan and lower the heat to medium. Whisk in 3 tbsp flour and cook, whisking, until it turns a light blonde color.
Whisk in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Add the milk and cream mixture and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cook until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, and take it off before it gets too thick.
Spoon the gravy over the steaks and serve.
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