Chicken Fried Steak

BEEF, it's what's for dinner!
It's a regular thing at our ranch house anyway.


My kids are always bugging me for a "real recipe" for the foods I make at home. I usually pull them out of my hat -- add a little of this and a smidge of that which is a recipe that is sometimes hard to follow for the inexperienced. So today I found a "real recipe" that is right in line with my own. We had it for supper tonight along with baked potatoes and corn (sounds really down-home, doesn't it?). I hope you'll enjoy it. And don't forget the gravy -- it's delish!

Chicken Fried Steak
~Alton Brown

2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or dried)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. (I just pound it with the rolling pin or have your butcher tenderize it. ~J)

Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.

Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. (I like a little butter. ~J) Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.
Recipe courtesy of Food Network.