Every state has its own take on the classic chicken fried steak. Lonestar Chicken Fried Steak comes from the Friendship state itself, Texas, and it features a gravy that you just have to taste to believe: lusciously thick and sweet with plenty of savory steak flavors and just a hint of citrus brightness elevates the dish to a new level. Of course, Lonestar Chicken Fried Steak wouldn’t be complete without the crunchy, golden brown fried steaks, just bursting with beefiness. It’s like a whole other dinner.
Ingredients
For the steaks:
- 4 (1/2-inch-thick) steaks, eye of round
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 liter canola oil, for frying
- salt, to taste
For the gravy:
- 3-4 tablespoons oil, reserved from the pan you cooked the steaks in
- 4 tablespoons seasoned flour, preferably reserved from breading the steaks
- 2 (12-ounce) cans of evaporated whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- thyme, optional, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Use parchment paper or butcher’s paper to wrap the steaks.
Step 2 –Pound the steaks flat to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat tenderizer or a heavy bottom pan.
Step 3 –Combine the flour, seasoning salt, pepper, and cornstarch in a shallow bowl, whisking it all together.
Step 4 –In a glass dish big enough to dunk a whole steak, combine the eggs and the milk and whisk into a thin mixture similar to an egg wash.
Step 5 –Dip the steaks, one at a time, into the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
Step 6 –Dip the flour-coated steaks into the egg wash, and then back into the flour.
Step 7 –Place the coated steaks onto a baking sheet.
Step 8 –Transfer all of the coated steaks to the fridge to chill until the flour binds and develops, about 30 minutes.
Step 9 –Reserve 4 tablespoons of the seasoned flour, discarding the rest.
Step 10 –Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
Step 11 –Place a cookie sheet inside the oven as it preheats.
Step 12 –Fill a cast-iron skillet about halfway with the canola oil.
Step 13 –Heat the oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat.
Step 14 –Using tongs, place the steaks in the oil, cooking in batches until the steaks are golden-brown all over, about 4-5 minutes per side.
Step 15 –Immediately salt both sides of the steaks when you remove them from the cast-iron skillet and transfer them to the preheated baking sheet. Keep the steaks in the oven until ready to serve.
Step 16 –Drain all but 3-4 tablespoons of the frying oil from the skillet, reserving the rest in the skillet. Reduce the heat to low.
Step 17 –Sprinkle the reserved flour into the cooking oil, whisking until a golden-brown paste forms.
Step 18 –Slowly whisk in 1 can of the evaporated milk, whisking until thoroughly combined.
Step 19 –Turn the heat to medium and whisk until the gravy starts to thicken and simmer.
Step 20 –Add as much of the remaining evaporated milk as you prefer, adding more for a thinner gravy.
Step 21 –Add the lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Top the gravy with black pepper and thyme.
Step 22 –Serve the steaks with the gravy.
