Week 16 - An Unbalanced Equation

So I'm not sure if it's this particular recipe or just me not really being sure how to do it, but in my book this meal was a lot of work for a not very exciting outcome.

Keep in mind I don't remember ever having chicken fried steak before so I have nothing to compare it to. Brian says it was good so I guess that's a plus. But compared to most of my other meals, the end result was rather unremarkable.

And the preparation... Oy! If for any reason I ever had to do this again, I would use something like a cube steak or something that's already reasonably thin and easy to tenderize. I ending up having to use a top round (the guy at the meat counter assured me it was the closest thing to bottom round) and I pounded it for HOURS and never quite got it thin enough, though I did make a real good mess of flying flour and meat chunks. So then I let the coating burn a bit since I was concerned about the steaks not getting cooked through. Making the gravy was a new challenge so that's something, but overall I just give it a shrug and a, "it's OK, I guess."

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

Source: foodnetwork.com, Alton Brown

2 lbs. beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat - 2 tsp. kosher salt - 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper - 1 C. all-purpose flour - 3 whole eggs, beaten - 1/4 C. vegetable oil - 2 C. chicken broth - 1/2 C. whole milk - 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

2. Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking.

3. Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approx. 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons  of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approx. 5-10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.