Chicken-fried steak is the official state meal of Oklahoma, and it’s the signature dish on the Rock Cafe’s menu, with diners traveling hundreds of miles on Route 66 just to get a taste. Like many Oklahomans, I make mine with cube steak (also called a minute steak), an inexpensive and already tenderized cut from the round of the cow. I dip the steaks in buttermilk first, then dredge them through a spiced cracker crumb mixture that turns beautifully golden and crisp in a cast-iron skillet. Served up with old-fashioned bacon gravy (which is also great with biscuits), it doesn’t get much better than this.

Steak
1 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup cracker crumbs (about 30 saltines)
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup buttermilk
4 cube steaks (6 ounces each)
4 cups canola oil

Gravy
3 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into 1⁄2″-wide pieces
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 ounces button mushrooms (about 2⁄3 cup), stemmed and thinly sliced
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (1⁄4 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, warmed but not hot

Bread the steaks. Whisk the flour, cracker crumbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in a wide, shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk into a wide bowl. Dip each steak into the buttermilk, then dredge it through the dry ingredients, making sure both sides are evenly coated.

Make the gravy. Cook the bacon over medium-high heat in a medium skillet until crispy, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring often, until soft and just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and the salt and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms release their juices, about 5 minutes. Mix in the garlic, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter and let it melt, stirring often. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then slowly begin to add the milk a little at a time, mixing well between additions to avoid lumps. Cook until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cover, stirring occasionally, to keep the gravy warm. Just before serving, stir in the reserved bacon.

Fry the steaks. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet (preferably a cast-iron one) over medium-high heat. Once the oil reaches between 350°F and 375°F on an instant-read thermometer, reduce the heat to medium and carefully slide the steaks into the hot oil. Fry on both sides until the coating is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel– or brown bag–lined plate to drain. Serve the steak immediately covered with the bacon gravy.

D2D
When I have just a few strips of bacon left in a package, I like to chop it into narrow strips (what the french call lardons) and stow it away in a quart-size resealable bag in the freezer. It comes in handy when I don’t have bacon in the house (a rarity, but it does happen!) and want to make home fries, gravy, or even bacon bits for a salad with blue cheese dressing and juicy garden tomatoes. No need to thaw, just use the bacon pieces straight from the freezer.

Cook Smart
To make cracker crumbs, place some crackers in a food processor and pulse until very fine. Or, for a more low-tech approach, place the crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush them with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or the bottom of a heavy skillet until fine and mealy. A 15-ounce box of saltine crackers makes about 41⁄2 cups of cracker crumbs.

Tags: company, eating out at home, entertaining, kid-friendly Permalink: http://www.myd2d.com/2010/02/chicken-fried-steak-and-bacon-gravy/
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