This chicken fried steak recipe beat out Grady Spears, a cowboy food legend, James Beard award winner, and my good friend, at the Golden Chile Awards to become the best chicken fried steak recipe ever. Today I’m going to show you the whole process, including my secret ingredient.
As the home of chicken fried steak, Texans have some pretty big expectations for this iconic dish– its as Texan as chili or the Alamo, so understand that everyone has a recipe, and they are comprised of similar ingredients with specific twists.
Since I’m a chef, I’ve been trying to find everyone’s best tips. This post is all about the chicken fried steak secrets that chefs and great cooks use, putting them all together to make the Ultimate Texas Chicken Fried Steak.
Lets get back to the basics for our friends throughout the country, and around the world, because the idea of a chicken fried anything seems to be causing some confusion.
How to Keep Batter from Falling Off Chicken Fried Steak: A Frying Fiasco Rescued
As a Texan born and raised on chicken fried steak, I consider a fallen batter catastrophe tantamount to culinary treason This Southern staple deserves a crispy armor that clings mightily to every tender morsel within Sadly, nefarious forces are constantly conspiring to compromise our crunchy coats. Moisture, impatience, and oil temperature all collude in clandestine assaults against adhesion.
However, do not worry, fellow fryers! This complete guide will teach you how to protect your chicken fried domains from invading batter. With the right precautions, no steak will give up its covering without a fight. Use these tools and tips to defeat the batter slippage scourge like a hero. The battle can be won!
Assessing the Adhesion Adversaries
Before we can beat our batter enemies, we need to know who they are. The primary enemies of adhesion are:
Moisture – Excess water is kryptonite for crispiness. Residual surface moisture prevents flour and batter from properly sticking. Dryness is essential.
Too hot of an oil temperature makes the coating burn before it sets. If it’s too cold, it soaks up grease, gets soggy, and slides off. Precise temperature control is paramount.
Insufficient Coating – Skimpy breading easily detaches. Generous, even coats withstand frying forces better. Attention to detail is key.
Rough Handling – Aggressive flipping and prodding can dislodge even sturdy batter. A delicate touch preserves the precious coating.
These troublemakers must be actively neutralized to protect our crunchy barricades. Forewarned is forearmed. Now let’s suit up and do battle!
Strategic Moisture Removal
Eliminating excess water is crucial before breading. Use paper towels to dry the steaks, then let them dry in the air for 10 to 15 minutes. Add a little flour on top to soak up any extra liquid. At least 20 minutes before cooking, salt the steaks to keep the moisture in. Don’t eat steaks that are ice cold right out of the fridge; let the meat warm up a bit to keep condensation from forming. Prep your batter extra cold so it thickens up. If you follow the steps for reducing moisture, your coating will stick on smoothly.
Oil Temperature OCD
Obsessively control your oil temperature for optimal adhesion. Invest in a deep fry thermometer – the $20 is worth every penny. Heat oil to 350-375°F on medium heat before carefully lowering in floured and battered steaks. Maintain this zone throughout cooking. Too low and coating absorbs oil, too high and it burns fast. Adjust heat as needed and fry in small batches. Let oil reheat fully between steaks for consistency. Precise temperatures yield sturdy, resilient crusts.
Breading Bonanzas
Maximize adhesion with these advanced breading techniques:
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Flour Dip – Lightly flour steaks before batter to rough up surface and soak up drips
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Season First – Salt and pepper steaks so flavors infuse – just a pinch in batter
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Buttermilk Dunk – Dip in buttermilk before battering to increase coating tackiness
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Rest Period – Let battered steaks sit for 5+ minutes before frying to let coating hydrate
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Press and Pack – Press thick, even layers of batter into the steaks
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Double Dredge – Do flour, batter, flour again for an extra fortified fortress
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Cornmeal Crunch – A sprinkle of cornmeal in batter adds appealing texture
With a multi-step breading blitz, your batter will cement onto those steaks like steel plating. Onward to flavor country!
Handle with Care
Even the heartiest homemade batter is still sensitive. Exercise patience and care when maneuvering those steaks:
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Use slotted spoons and spatulas for gentle flipping
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Resist poking or prodding too soon – let batter initially set up undisturbed
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Fry in roomy vessels with at least 1-inch oil so coating can float freely
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Blot freshly fried steaks on paper towels to remove excess grease
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Allow steaks to rest 5+ minutes post frying before slicing to solidify crust
A deft yet delicate hand preserves your coating integrity from fryer to plate.
Troubleshooting Tips
Should your chicken fried quest go awry, attempt these troubleshooting tips:
Soggy Coating – Oil too cold. Raise temp to 350°F+
Burned Coating – Oil too hot. Lower temp and adjust burner.
Falls Off in Chunks – Insufficient adhesion. Allow batter to hydrate before frying. Press into steaks firmly. Consider double dredging.
Won’t Stick to Steak – Meat too wet. Dry steaks thoroughly and add flour dip before batter.
The Takeaway
Besting batter slippage and retaining that craveable crunch may seem a daunting task. But armed with the right techniques and a vigilant eye on temperature, moisture, and handling, you will be victorious. With persistent practice, the incredible edible armor of chicken fried steak can be mastered by all. Soon you’ll be serving Southern pride with the batter still gloriously intact. So heat that oil, prep those steaks, and ready the flour – it’s time to fry!
What is the Difference between Chicken Fried Steak and Country-Fried Steak?
Chicken fried steak is deep-fried and country fried steak is pan-fried. Most home cooks don’t use a deep fryer to cook their food; instead, they use a sauté pan or cast-iron skillet. This means that their chicken fried steak won’t have some of the same qualities as restaurant chicken fried steak, which is cooked in hot oil so the batter can run and expand, becoming very crispy. Most home cooks still refer to their dish as chicken fried steak and would argue that the names are interchangeable. It really comes down to using quite a bit of oil in the pan, giving the batter lots of room to fry in where it develops a crunchy exterior.
When you cook your meat in a skillet, you’ll also have the pan drippings to use to make gravy. This gravy will have a golden tint that pure white cream gravy will not have. Many cooks think this gives the gravy extra flavor.
How to Make the Best Gravy for Chicken Fried Steaks
Well, I told you I was going to give you my chicken fried steak secret, and here it is. Its really a secret my grandmother handed down to me from using in her multiple Texas cafes. For the best gravy–award-winning, trophy gravy, always use evaporated milk.
I know! I have seen so many people look at me like why? Why does that work? How would that matter?.
Evaporated milk creates a warmer, richer, buttery gravy that heavy cream or whole milk just cannot replicate. Evaporated milk is canned milk. It is not the same as condensed milk, which is a sweet dessert-like substance. When milk is canned, it is heated, which gives it caramel and toasty notes. My recipe also calls for seasoning with garlic powder and onion powder and a drop of lemon juice for brightness. Im telling yall, its the gravy to end all gravies.
Since we prepared the chicken fried steaks in our large skillet we will also be able to use those decadent pan drippings for a creamy country gravy with notes of the steak. Occasionally this gravy will look like a brown gravy but since brown gravy is a rich dark gravy, I like to describe it as golden. The pan drippings give it this beautiful color and flavor.
To finish the chicken fried steaks you can plate up with mashed potatoes or green beans and coat the chicken fried steak with plenty of gravy!
Now lets look at some common problems:
How to Make the Best Chicken Fried Steak | Allrecipes
FAQ
Why does my batter fall off my chicken fried steak?
To keep the batter from falling off chicken-fried steak, ensure that the steak is properly prepared before battering. Start by patting the steak dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, which can prevent the batter from adhering. Additional, press the coating into the steak to adhere.
How to keep the breading on chicken fried steak?
To ensure breading stays on chicken fried steak, start with a double dredge (flour, egg wash, flour again) and let the breaded steak rest for at least 15 minutes, allowing the breading to absorb moisture and become tacky.