Chicken fried steak
 Country fried steak served with mashed potatoes topped with brown gravy | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Created by | Multiple claims |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Tenderized cube steak, flour |
Chicken fried steak (similar to country fried steak) is an American breaded cutlet dish consisting of a piece of beefsteak (tenderized cube steak) coated with seasoned flour and pan-fried. It is sometimes associated with the Southern cuisine of the United States. Despite the name, the dish contains no chicken, but is so-named because the cooking method is similar to that of pan-fried chicken breast cutlets.
Chicken fried steak resembles the Austrian dish wiener schnitzel and the Italian-South American dish milanesa, which is a tenderized veal or pork cutlet, coated with flour, eggs, and bread crumbs, and then fried. It is also similar to the recipe for Scottish collops.[1]
History
The precise origins of the dish are unclear, but many sources attribute its development to German and Austrian immigrants to Texas in the 19th century, who brought recipes for wiener schnitzel from Europe to the USA.[1] Lamesa, the seat of Dawson County on the Texas South Plains, claims to be the birthplace of chicken fried steak, and hosts an annual celebration accordingly.[2]
The Virginia Housewife, published in 1838 by Mary Randolph, has a recipe for veal cutlets that is one of the earliest recipes for a food like chicken fried steak. The recipe for what we now know as chicken fried steak was included in many regional cookbooks by the late 19th century.[1] The Oxford English Dictionary's earliest attestation of the term "chicken-fried steak" is from a restaurant advertisement in the 19 June 1914 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper.[3]
A 1943 American cookbook recipe for wiener schnitzel includes a white salt and pepper cream gravy.[4]
Chicken fried steak is among numerous popular dishes which make up the official state meal of Oklahoma,[5][6] added to the list in 1988.[1]
Preparation
Chicken fried steak is prepared by taking a thin cut of beefsteak and tenderizing it by pounding, cubing, or forking. It is then immersed in egg batter and dredged in flour to which salt, pepper, and often other seasonings have been added (called breading). Chicken fried steak is typically deep-fried and served with a cream gravy, while country fried steak is typically fried in a skillet and served with a brown gravy. The frying medium has traditionally been shortening, but butter and lard have sometimes been used instead. Health concerns have led many cooks to replace the shortening with vegetable oil.
When there are problems with the breading separating from the meat while cooking, it can be very useful to first dredge the meat in the flour mixture, then the egg, and then the flour mixture again, and then let it sit for a half hour or more before cooking.
The cuts of steak used for chicken fried steak are usually the less expensive, less desirable ones, such as cube steak, chuck, round steak, and occasionally flank steak. The method may be used for chopped or ground beef, but it is not called chicken fried steak. Chicken fried steak is usually served for lunch or dinner topped with cream gravy and with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and biscuits or Texas toast served on the side. In the Midwest, it is also common to serve chicken fried steak for breakfast, along with toast and hash browns.
The steak can be served on a hamburger bun with cream gravy as a "chicken fried steak sandwich". It can also be cubed and stuffed in a baked potato with the gravy and cheese.
Alternatively, the tenderized steak may be cut into strips, breaded, deep fried, and served for breakfast with eggs and toast or for other meals in a basket with fries and cream gravy. Either is then known as "steak fingers".
Variants
Typically, in Texas and surrounding states, chicken fried steak is fried in a thick layer of oil in a pan and served with traditional peppered milk gravy.[7][8][9]
Other similar dishes
A similar dish is sometimes known as "country fried steak" in other parts of the United States, where it is subject to some regional variations. On rare occasions there is a brown gravy, and occasionally the meat is either pan-fried with little oil, or simmered in the gravy. In some areas, "country steak" may refer to Salisbury steak, a chopped or minced beef patty in brown gravy.
There are also dishes similar to chicken fried steak that are made with other meats. One is "chicken-fried chicken" which has appeared on many menus, substituting a boneless chicken breast for the steak. Chicken fried chicken differs from the dish known as "fried chicken" because the meat is removed from the bones, and cooked in the fashion of chicken fried steak, and served with cream gravy.
Another dish similar to chicken fried steak is "chicken fried hamburger" which is made with a ground beef patty and served with cream gravy.
Boneless pork chops, usually center cut, can be served in this manner, as well as chicken fried buffalo steak. Chicken fried catfish may also be found on occasion.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Weaver, Bobby. "Chicken-Fried Steak". Oklahoma Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Archived from the original on January 23, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
- ↑ Dizone, Alyssa (2011-04-27). "Lamesa to have chicken-fried steak festival this weekend". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
- ↑ "OED Definition "chicken-fried, adj" (see n.1 under "chicken")". Oxford University Press. March 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013. (subscription required)
- ↑ Victory Binding of the 'American Women's Cookbook', Wartime Edition, Ruth Berolzheimer 1943
- ↑ 'Oklahoma State Icons' Archived 2014-01-15 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ 'Oklahoma State Emblems' Archived October 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ John T. Edge (2009-04-15). "Chicken Fried Steak, Steamed Sandwiches, Georgia Barbecue". New York Times.
- ↑ Denise Gee (March 1998). "Dueling steaks". Southern Living.
- ↑ John Raven. "Chicken-Fried Steak: One-third of the Big Three". Texas Cooking.
External links
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