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.
For being the birthplace of chicken fried steak, Texas has high standards for this famous dish. It’s as Texan as chili or the Alamo, so keep in mind that each recipe uses similar ingredients but in different ways.
As a chef, I have been on a quest to gather everyones best techniques and this post is really about the chicken fried steak secrets that chefs and excellent cooks utilize, combining them all together, and providing you with a recipe for 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.
People love chicken fried steak as a comfort food, but it can be annoying when the breading falls off while it’s cooking. A sad, bare steak sitting in a pile of breadcrumbs is something that you see all too often in kitchens. Of course, if you know what you’re doing, you can avoid this breading mistake and always get the perfect crunchy coating.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the science behind breading adhesion common causes of breading detachment and provide step-by-step solutions for crispy, flavorful chicken fried steak success.
Understanding Breading Adhesion
To troubleshoot breading issues, it’s important to first understand what makes it stick in the first place. Proper adhesion relies on two key factors:
Moisture
A slightly damp steak surface provides moisture for the breading to cling to like glue. Drying the meat thoroughly before breading allows excess moisture to evaporate.
Protein Bonding
Eggs in the breading mixture and meat proteins interact to form bonds during cooking This cross-linking helps seal the breading to the steak
Why Does Breading Fall Off?
With the science down let’s explore the common culprits behind breading mishaps
Insufficient Moisture
If the steak surface is too dry, the breading has nothing to grip onto. Allowing the meat to sit out too long can lead to evaporation.
Inadequate Binders
Not using enough egg or buttermilk in your breading mixture prevents protein bonding.
Improper Dredging
There shouldn’t be any empty spots on the steak after the breading has been pressed on firmly and evenly.
Overly Thick Batter
Excessive batter obscures the meat texture, so the breading can’t adhere correctly.
Wrong Cooking Temperature
Too low, and the breading absorts oil and falls off. Too high, and it burns before the meat cooks through.
Handling Issues
Rough handling of cooked steaks causes the crisp breading to flake off. Letting steaks steam and moisten on a piled plate also loosens the coating.
Step-By-Step Solutions
Follow these tips at each stage for guaranteed breading success:
Prep the Steak
- Pat the steaks dry thoroughly with paper towels
- Lightly score the surface in a crosshatch pattern to increase surface area
Bread Properly
- Allow steaks to rest for 5-10 minutes after breading to let moisture absorb
- Use an egg and buttermilk soak to increase protein bonding
- Apply a light, even coating of flour first to provide a tacky base
Fry Correctly
- Preheat oil to 325-350°F and use a thermometer for accuracy
- Cook steaks in batches to maintain oil temperature
- Fry for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown
Handle with Care
- Let steaks drain on a wire rack, no piling
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting to set breading
Extra Tips for Adhesion
- Chill breaded steaks for 30 minutes before frying to help batter adhere
- Add cornstarch to the flour for extra crispness
- Use crackers blended into the breadcrumbs for crunch
- Refrigerate unused egg wash to prevent thinning
Common Questions
What’s the ideal oil temperature?
325-350°F is optimal. Any lower, the breading gets soggy. Any higher, it burns. Use a thermometer for precision.
Should I soak the steaks in buttermilk?
Yes, a 30-60 minute buttermilk bath tenderizes the meat and provides moisture, proteins, and tangy flavor for better adhesion.
How can I get the breading extra crisp?
Letting the breaded steaks rest in the fridge for up to overnight dries out the surface. Cornstarch blended into the flour also increases crispness.
What breading ingredients work best?
For the wet batter, use egg and buttermilk. All-purpose flour makes a good base for the dry, crackers add crunch, and panko makes it extra crispy.
Is it better to bake or fry chicken fried steak?
Frying allows you to fine tune the oil temperature for optimal adhesion and crisping. Baking can dry out the meat and cause the breading to separate.
Conclusion
If you know about breading science, stay away from common mistakes, and use these tried-and-true methods, you can make chicken fried steak that has the perfect crunch. It takes practice to get the breading to stick well, but this classic, crunchy comfort food is well worth the work. Just make sure to dry the bread completely, fry it at the right temperature, and be careful when you handle it. Now go enjoy some crispy, home-cooked chicken fried steak!.
How To Make Chicken Fried Steak
If you bought a good cubed steak, all that’s left to do is season it with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, and then move on to the part of this post where it talks about breading the steaks.
For everyone who was able to obtain top round or eye of round, cut the roast into steaks which will naturally be about 3-4 inches in diameter. I like to cut them to be about 3/4 of an inch thick.
You can use waxed butcher paper to wrap your beef, or line a cutting board with plastic wrap or wax paper. Place the steak on the board and then put another piece of plastic wrap or wax paper on top of it. (See the video for a demonstration. ).
Using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, beat the steak until it spreads out and becomes thinner. I like my steaks to nearly double in size so that they are very thin. Repeat with the remaining steaks and transfer them to a baking sheet.
Finally, season the steaks with seasoning salt and black pepper.
What is Best Cut of Meat for Chicken Fried Steak?
Top round, top sirloin, or eye of round.
For many years, chicken fried steak was made with cube steak, which used to be tenderized top round or top sirloin. But because there wasn’t a set definition, many grocery stores started selling cube steak made from other cuts of meat, like brisket, that had been tenderized in a machine. This results in a chicken fried steak that is difficult to chew. This is why most chefs and good home cooks buy top round, sirloin, or eye of round and use a kitchen mallet to make it tender.
Cube steak may be used if your butcher has assured you that the correct cuts of meat are being used to produce their cube steak.