Best Chicken Fried Steak
Tips and Techniques

There will always be a debates on how to make the best chicken fried steak, but all versions should share several of the same important characteristics, and then make slight changes, if desired.

1) The meat should always be round steak. This cut of beef should be sliced no more than 1/2 inch thick. Some people try to chicken-fry steak using more expensive and tender cuts, such as sirloin or tenderloin beef. The preparation of chicken fried steak does nothing for those classy cuts, so why go to the expense.

Other cooks use veal, but these folks are not aware of the Texas German ancestors' wiener schnitzel dish, which is similar and probably superior to chicken fried steak made with veal.

Still other cooks try to use venison for chicken fried steak. It does have a nice, gamier taste, but it tends to result in dry chicken fried steak. Of course, you can always add a little more white cream gravy if you need to.

2) You should pound the round steaks very vigorously, to the point of wearing yourself out. You can have your butcher start the tenderizing process by twice-tenderizing the meat at the store. When properly tenderized, the steaks should have marks similar to what a waffle iron would make. Take then home and finish the process. The steaks should be no thicker than 1/4 inch.

You can also purchase tenderized steak at a grocery store. They are usually called "cube steak" there. But still take the cube steaks home and pound them out some more, to the same 1/4 inch thickness.

3) Always fry the steaks in a cast-iron skillet or dutch oven. If you don't own one, buy one. If you don't want one, go out and eat.

4)Use only white cream gravy on a chicken fried steak. The people who like brown gravy are too far from Texas tradition to be helped.

Other chicken fried steak cooking methods are often debated. There is a difference of opinion on whether you soak the meat in batter, dip it, or dredge it in flour, then dip it again, or any number of combinations. How much seasoning to use is also in question. Using vegetable shortening or oil is in question, as is whether you should pan-fry or deep-fry the chicken fried steak.

Fortunately, these are all great cooking methods for creating the best chicken fried steak (at least in the cook's opinion), so no one should ever have their feelings hurt if a few variables are thrown in.

This could be the best chicken fried steak recipe anywhere.