Chicken Fried Steak With Country Gravy.The Down Home Southern Comfort Food

When I was in high school I had a friend that I hung out with on the weekend, sometimes. We would go out on a saturday night and I would spend the night at her house and Sunday afternoon, after church, Her mom would make the best Sunday dinner in the world! Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, the real deal, green beans, I mean fresh! It was a real treat. You would come away from the table feeling full for the rest of the day. Oh, and lets not forget the country gravy. To die for!

Well, it's still a big deal especially down here in Texas. There are different recipes and it's basically pretty simple but I think this one surpasses all of them.

Chicken Fried Steak Recipe

1 1/2 lb. round steak, 1/2 in. thick

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

Seasoned salt to taste

Paprika to taste

Pepper to taste

Cut steak into serving pieces. Pound steak well and dip into milk. Combine remaining ingredients and dredge steak in flour mixture. Fry quickly in hot fat. Drain off excess fat. Add a small amount of water, cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes or until steak is tender.

Makes 4 servings.

** Recipe can be doubled.

The Texas Historical Society has it that chicken fried steak was started here after the arrival of most German and Austrian Immigrants and is comparable to the German dish "Wiener schnitzel", which is traditional made with veal dipped in eggs and flour or possibly cornmeal. Fried okra was also introduced along side in this culinary tradition which is made with the tender young okra dipped in milk, eggs and cornmeal. This is probably one of the few dishes that originated in the United States because there may have been a lack of ingredients like, veal in the 1800s so, they settled for tougher meats because they were less expensive. But, "Wiener schnitzel is a comparable dish to it and that's how the whole thing started but, is really an original modified form of the recipe from Austria.

Recipe for real Wiener Schnitzel below in the video.

The country gravy is always a work of art. Usually using the juice from the pan, never wasting anything, it adds that delectable flavor that only country gravy can have along with milk or buttermilk which gives it that full bodied richness, flour and a little salt and pepper. There is a certain knack to making country gravy. It's not an exact science. It just needs to not have many lumps, needs to be constantly stirred, as not to burn it and properly seasoned to taste. It's important not to put too much salt or pepper but, ill proportioned amounts can ruin a perfectly good pan of gravy. Because the gravy is part of the symphony in your mouth when you pick up a fork full of steak, potatoes and okra all in one bite. There's not another thing like it in the whole world!

Now the Okra is a whole different story. If it's done right it will be crispy on the outside and irrisistably tender on the inside. You only use the younger okra on the plant. If you use okra that is too long or matured, been on the plant longer, it will be too tough. Okra should never be chewy. As I said about the importance of the gravy, poured over fried okra is just as much of a treat as the steak because it has the flavor and the reduction of the steak, incredible!

I happen to have found this other delightfully easy recipe for Chicken Fried Steak and Country Gravy on You Tube. It's just one of the many ways you can make it but, most of the recipes are basically the same. Some with a little modifications depending on what part of the region your in.

Fried Okra Recipe

1 pound fresh Okra

1/2 cup white cornmeal

1/2 tsp onion salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Wash okra, remove ends and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Mix cornmeal, onion salt and pepper. Toss okra and cornmeal mixture until okra is completely coated. Cook and stir okra in vegetable oil until brown.

4 Servings.

The instructional video below shows you step by step although, the recipe may vary slightly. Fried okra is one of those versatile side dishes that everybody has a different opinion about depending what region you were raised in. But, at any rate it should be a help to any cook Southern or otherwise.

Last but, not least, the mashed potatoes! It's just not chicken fried steak without mashed potatoes and gravy. They kind of go hand in hand. It's the excitement, if you will, of the dish. It's what calls everyone to the table.

Mashed potatoes are pretty cut and dry. Wash and peel the potatoes, boil them til tender. Then, drain them and mash them with a potato masher. Add a little milk, salt, pepper and there you go, right? Well, believe it or not, there are different variations on mashed potatoes too. So I have come up with an interesting video that will be helpful and entertaining as well.

Now, what if you're really good at the cooking part but, not so good at the picking of the meat in the grocery store? Well, never fear, I've got you covered on that too! I managed to find a video for that too! This video shows you everything you need to know about shopping for meat for your recipes and helps you to know all about making healthy choices and what they look like. When you're done watching you can go grocery shopping with confidence. That says a lot when it comes to buying meat especially, these days.

Earlier I gave you a video that showed how to make Chicken Fried Steak and Country Gravy. But, I thought maybe you would like to see how someone else makes just the gravy because It can be a little tricky to get used to. Like the Okra, there can be different variations on how it's made. In the south, everyone has their own set ways and recipe traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation. Some of them are unique to even the family name. That's how coveted and revered it gets in the south when it comes to our comfort food. That's why the Chicken Fried Steak dish is also named in Soul Food. Each family takes it very personal down to their soul. It's just good feelings and family and why it's always appropriate for Sunday dinners. But, the gravy is just as important as the meat.

Well, now that you've seen the best recipes and you know the history behind Chicken Fried Steak and why it's such a big deal, maybe you can try it for yourself. Just start with the easiest recipe you can find and experiment a little. Not too much, though, steak or veal can get kind of expensive if you purchase a lot of it. Start out small and grow a little. Remember, you always learn to crawl before you can walk. Even if you ruin the gravy just know that there is a knack to it. Once you get it you will never loose the touch.