Chicken Fried Steak

Method

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1. Combine the flour with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cayenne. Whisk the buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce in a second dish.

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2. Pat the steaks dry. Dredge in flour, then buttermilk, then flour again, pressing hard so the coating goes craggy.

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3. Rest the coated steaks on a rack for 10 minutes — this sets the crust.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

4. Heat the oil to 175°C / 345°F in a heavy frying pan, about 1.5 cm deep.

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5. Fry two steaks at a time for 4 minutes a side until deep golden brown and crisp. Drain on a rack, not on paper.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

6. Pour off all but 4 tablespoons of the fat, keeping the browned bits in the pan.

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7. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes over medium heat until it smells nutty.

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8. Add the warm milk in three additions, whisking smooth each time, and simmer 5 minutes until it coats a spoon.

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9. Season aggressively with black pepper and salt — this gravy should be visibly speckled — and pour over the steaks immediately.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• A rack, never kitchen paper. Paper traps steam and softens the underside within a minute.
• The gravy needs far more black pepper than seems reasonable. That is the point of it.
• If you cannot find cube steak, pound sirloin between cling film with a mallet until it is 1 cm thick.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of buttermilk? Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into the same amount of ordinary milk and let it sit five minutes before using.

Pairing Suggestions

• Mashed potato and green beans
• Buttermilk biscuits
• Iced tea or a cold beer

Storage & Reheating

Best fresh. Refrigerate up to 2 days and re-crisp at 200°C / 390°F for 10 minutes; make the gravy fresh.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.