A piece of crispy, breaded, juicy beef topped with gravy is good old-fashioned American southern comfort food at its finest. Of course, we’re talking about country fried steaks.
They are also often referred to as chicken fried steaks, but they aren’t quite the same thing – the difference lies in the gravy. Country fried steaks are usually served with a brown onion gravy, whereas chicken fried steaks are usually served with a creamier white gravy. (They’re both delicious, and there’s no chicken to be found in either).
Country fried steaks are made from cube steak, which is usually cut from the round. It’s also known as bucket steak or minute steak – or if you’re in Australia, a rump or topside steak cut from the top side will do nicely.
The trick to a good country fried steak is in the double dredging of flour, which helps make the steak nice and crispy once it hits the fryer.
For an extra tender and juicy piece of beef, we recommend soaking the steaks in a buttermilk marinade overnight (or at least four hours). This helps to tenderise the beef without making it soft and mushy.
Call us Paul Kelly, because we’ll tell you how to make (two) gravies.
Recipe: Country Fried Steak
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk*
- Salt and pepper
- 4 round steaks (e.g. cube, minute, rump or topside)
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 tsp of onion powder
- Oil
For a brown onion gravy:
- Seasoned flour set aside in Step 3 below
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 2 cups of beef stock
- 1/2 chopped white onion
For a creamy white gravy:
- Seasoned flour set aside in Step 3 below
- 2 shallow baking dishes
- A cooling rack
- Frying pan
- Paper towels
- Another pan for gravy
*If you can’t find buttermilk, make your own. For every cup of milk add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and stir.
Method
Step 1
Combine the eggs and buttermilk in a bowl and season.
Step 2
Place the cube steaks into a Ziplock bag and pour over the buttermilk mix to coat them nice and evenly. Place the Ziplock bag into the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours, to slowly soften and brine.
Step 3
Add the flour to a baking dish and season it with salt, pepper and onion powder. Mix it with a whisk so that the seasoning is evenly distributed. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the flour mix for the gravy.
Step 4
Once the buttermilk steaks are brined, take them out of the Ziplock bag and transfer them into another baking dish. Now for the dredging! Using tongs, dip the steaks into the flour mixture and coat both sides. Shake it off then place it back into the buttermilk for a second dip. This process helps form the crispy bits on the sides once it is cooked.
Step 5
Place the dredged steaks onto a cooling rack and pop it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Step 6
Fill a deep cast iron skillet with oil and get it to a medium high heat. To check if the oil is ready, flick some water into the pan. If it sizzles, you’re good to go! Gently place the steaks into the oil and deep fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side.
Step 7
Once it’s golden and crispy, transfer it to a plate with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
Step 8
Top the country fried steak with your gravy of choice, as below. Enjoy!
For a brown onion gravy:
Step 1
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes.
Step 2
Add the seasoned flour that you set aside earlier. Add the beef broth and bring it to the boil, whisking constantly. Let it thicken.
Step 3
Add the seasoned flour that you set aside earlier. Add the beef broth and bring it to the boil, whisking constantly. Let it thicken.
For a creamy white gravy:
Step 1
Transfer 1-2 tablespoons of that hot steak oil (and any extra fried crispy bits!) into another pan and set it to medium high heat. Add the seasoned flour that you set aside earlier, and whisk it to combine. Slowly add milk, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly to remove any lumps. You’re looking for a nice, smooth gravy.
Step 2
Reduce the heat and season. After a few minutes, you should have a nice gravy consistency.
