- Prep Time: 30 min.
- Inactive Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 30 min.
- Yield: 4 servings
Chicken-fried steak, or country-fried steak, is a common lunch and dinner main course in southeastern US cuisine.
When I first moved from Canada to Texas, I was repulsed by the very idea of chicken-fried steak: beating to death the cheapest cuts of beef steak possible, coating them in KFC-style chicken batter, and deep-frying in grease.
Ew! Today, it’s one of my favorite Sunday breakfast indulgences, with significant recipe modifications and hash-brown potatoes and/or soda biscuits with Country Sausage Gravy and poached or sunny-side-up eggs to accompany.
Rather than the heavy, grease-laden breading on chicken-fried steak that is typical at many diners, this recipe is thin, light, and rather schnitzel-like. It’s still not lean or heart-healthy fare, by a long shot, but it is delicious for an occasional treat.
The customary cube or top-round steak is upgraded here to top sirloin, while it still requires tenderizing. It’s still not a filet mignon or ribeye cut by far, but it is certainly more tender than cube steak or top-round.
The lactic acid and probiotics in the buttermilk will macerate the beef, rendering it more tender, and the inclusion of fresh herbs makes all the difference in the world for delivering aroma and flavor.
For the hot pepper sauce, Tabasco, unless it’s chipotle smoked, is boring. It is simply peppers in vinegar, as are many other hot sauces. The Caribbean brands, such as Sakaja that we picked up in Providenciales, Turks, and Caicos, are loaded with tropical fruit as well as the punch of ghost peppers!
Ingredients
- You will need: 1 large skillet, 2 resealable plastic food storage bags, 1 meat tenderizing mallet, 1 small bowl, and 1 flat plate.
- 2 pounds of top sirloin beef steak
- 2.5 cups of buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons, plus 2 dashes of hot pepper sauce
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 12 leaves of fresh sage, torn
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons of ground cumin seeds
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup peanut or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1 recipe: Country Sausage Gravy
Instructions
- Divide the steak into four equal-sized pieces. Place each piece inside a resealable plastic bag, one at a time, and pound each to about 1/4-inch thickness with a tenderizing mallet.
- Remove from the bag, season with 1/2 of the salt and pepper, and set aside.
- In the second bag, combine 2 cups of buttermilk and 2 teaspoons of hot sauce. Place the steak pieces in the bag. Seal the bag and massage to coat all the portions evenly.
- Marinate for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, flipping hourly when possible.
- On a large, shallow plate, season the flour with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, sage, thyme, and cumin.
- In the small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork and add 1/2 cup buttermilk and 2 dashes hot sauce. Place the seasoned flour closest to the cooktop, then the egg mixture beside it.
- Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high.
- Remove the steaks from the marinade. Dredge each portion in the flour, press with fingers to adhere flour, shake off excess, dip into the beaten egg mixture, then dredge again in the seasoned flour.
- Place two steaks, one at a time, in the hot skillet. Fry the steaks until they are golden brown on each side, about 7 minutes; set aside and cover with a pan lid or inverted plate. Keep warm.
- Transfer steaks to individual serving plates, ladle with Country Sausage Gravy, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
- For a traditional southeastern meal, serve chicken-fried steak with fried okra, corn on the-cob, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, and/or French-cut green string beans. Lemonade or iced tea pairs well with this meal.
- For a southern-fried breakfast, serve this chicken-fried steak with hash brown potatoes or skillet breakfast potatoes, fried eggs, and gravy. Don’t forget the Skinny Pancakes, coffee, and mimosas!
