By Kelly Bogard

Ah, Texas. How I love thee, let me count the ways.

1) You have awesome spaces–big cities and tiny towns.
2) You have the friendliest people around.
3) You have year round beauty as the sun shines down.

So it’s time to celebrate this awesome place we call home. Sunday, March 2, is the 178th anniversary of the Texas Declaration of Independence. What better way to celebrate than a bigger-than-Texas Chicken Fried Steak (CFS)?

For Chicken Fried Steak, you will need…

1 ½ lbs. top round steak, tenderized
1 cup flour
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. cayenne
vegetable oil

Chicken Fried Steak has always been a favorite of mine. I am a self-described connoisseur–Golden crisp on the outside and tender and moist on the inside. The key to a good CFS–the crust. Let’s get started.

First things, first. Prepare all of the ingredients you need to coat the steaks. In one plate, combine the flour and all the seasonings. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. In a third dish, place the crushed crackers.
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To prepare the steaks, start by dredging them in flour.
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Next, dip it in the egg wash and then back to the flour. Make sure you are getting both sides covered during each step.
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And finally, press the steak into the crushed crackers. Remember both sides.
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To cook, heat ¼-inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees. Gently place each steak in the heated oil and fry on each side for two to three minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak. Set them aside on a lined plate to get rid of the excess grease. Repeat until all steaks are cooked.
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You can’t have CFS without gravy, so carefully pour the leftover grease into a proper container. Put 3 tablespoons back in the pan with the lovely bits of goodness in the pan bottom and sprinkle with ¼ cup flour. I like to use the leftover seasoned flour from the crust.
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Slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk and continue whisking until you reach the desired thickness.
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The perfect Chicken Fried Steak is just waiting to be made. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and do something fun to celebrate Texas. From all of us at Texas Table Top, enjoy!

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Recipe: Chicken Fried Steak

Summary: Golden crisp Texas delight

Ingredients

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  • 1 ½ lbs. top round steak, tenderized
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne
  • vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Mix all seasonings and flour on a plate.
  • Whisk together eggs and milk in a shallow bowl.
  • Place crushed crackers on a plate.
  • Dredge both sides of a steak in flour.
  • Dip in egg wash.
  • Then back into the flour.
  • Press into crumbled crackers.
  • Repeat until all are coated.
  • Heat ¼-inch of oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees.
  • Cook steak on each side for 2-3 minutes, depending on steak’s thickness.
  • To prepare gravy, reserve 3 tablespoons of grease and dispose of the rest properly.
  • In the same skillet, combine ¼ cup of the seasoned flour with the grease.
  • Slowly add 1 cup of milk and whisk until heated through and at the desired thickness.
  • Serve steak, covered with gravy, warm.

Cooking time (duration): 0 hour(s), 30 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 4

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