My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods, so we don't
have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in another
situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that one's a drive
and the local one is a walk.)

We bought a meat tenderizer "hammer" yesterday - she tells me the idea
is to tenderize a relatively inexpensive cut of beef for this -
recommendations for cuts of beef appreciated, plus any guidance to give
the butcher at WF, e.g., do I want it a certain thickness, etc.

I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
Urban person that I am.

Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.

-S-

On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 7:26:19 AM UTC-6, Steve Freides wrote:
> My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
> beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods, so we don't
> have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in another
> situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that one's a drive
> and the local one is a walk.)
>
> We bought a meat tenderizer "hammer" yesterday - she tells me the idea
> is to tenderize a relatively inexpensive cut of beef for this -
> recommendations for cuts of beef appreciated, plus any guidance to give
> the butcher at WF, e.g., do I want it a certain thickness, etc.
>
> I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
> Urban person that I am.
>
Bottom round. Use the hammer, S&P, then dredge in flour and fry in neutral
oil (I use TJ's sunflower oil), and you would a pork chop.
>
> -S-

--Bryan

Steve Freides wrote:
>
> I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
> Urban person that I am.
>
> Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.

Certainly just my worthless opinion but I've tried chicken fried steak
twice and IMO, it's the best way to ruin an otherwise good steak.
ymmv. Rather than bread it, cook it with mushrooms and onions. yum!

Steve Freides wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only
> grass-fed beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods,
> so we don't have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in
> another situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that
> one's a drive and the local one is a walk.)
>
> We bought a meat tenderizer "hammer" yesterday - she tells me the
> idea is to tenderize a relatively inexpensive cut of beef for this -
> recommendations for cuts of beef appreciated, plus any guidance to
> give the butcher at WF, e.g., do I want it a certain thickness, etc.
>
> I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already,
> Northern, Urban person that I am.
>
> Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.
>
> -S-

Hi!

Botom round is a good pick here, cut to about 2/3 or 1/2 inch then you
pound it down to about 1/2 that.

Bread it by dipping in flour then egg then flour again. Season the
flour with salt, peppoer, and we like tarragon and basil but suit your
own needs there.

Add to hot oil (vegegable) in a single layer then in a second pan make
a white gravy. Pour that over the crispy pieces and dig in!

It sounds fancy but is actually pretty fast to do.

--

On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 08:26:28 -0500, "Steve Freides" >
wrote:

>My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
>beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods, so we don't
>have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in another
>situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that one's a drive
>and the local one is a walk.)
>
>We bought a meat tenderizer "hammer" yesterday - she tells me the idea
>is to tenderize a relatively inexpensive cut of beef for this -
>recommendations for cuts of beef appreciated, plus any guidance to give
>the butcher at WF, e.g., do I want it a certain thickness, etc.

Could just ask the butcher, who might also have a hammer and do the
honors for you, cube steaks on demand!

J.


>
>I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
>Urban person that I am.
>
>Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.
>
>-S-
>

On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 09:33:40 -0500, Gary > wrote:

> Steve Freides wrote:
> >
> > I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
> > Urban person that I am.
> >
> > Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.
>
> Certainly just my worthless opinion but I've tried chicken fried steak
> twice and IMO, it's the best way to ruin an otherwise good steak.
> ymmv. Rather than bread it, cook it with mushrooms and onions. yum!

Glad you said something. At least I'm not the only one who feels that
way. It seems like chicken fried steak would be an acceptable dish if
it was pork based (which means schnitzel), but breaded and fried beef
doesn't ring any bells for me either.

--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

On 2/17/2015 2:24 PM, cshenk wrote:
> It sounds fancy but is actually pretty fast to do.

There's never been anything fancy about chicken fried steak.

Jill

On 2/17/2015 8:26 AM, Steve Freides wrote:
> My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
> beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods, so we don't
> have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in another
> situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that one's a drive
> and the local one is a walk.)
>
> We bought a meat tenderizer "hammer" yesterday - she tells me the idea
> is to tenderize a relatively inexpensive cut of beef for this -
> recommendations for cuts of beef appreciated, plus any guidance to give
> the butcher at WF, e.g., do I want it a certain thickness, etc.
>
> I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
> Urban person that I am.
>
> Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.
>
> -S-
>
>
Round steak, pounded with a meat mallet. Or cubed steak (already
tenderized when you buy it).

Jill

On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 9:05:54 AM UTC-5, Bryan-TGWWW wrote:
> On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 7:26:19 AM UTC-6, Steve Freides wrote:
> > My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
> > beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods, so we don't
> > have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in another
> > situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that one's a drive
> > and the local one is a walk.)
> >
> > We bought a meat tenderizer "hammer" yesterday - she tells me the idea
> > is to tenderize a relatively inexpensive cut of beef for this -
> > recommendations for cuts of beef appreciated, plus any guidance to give
> > the butcher at WF, e.g., do I want it a certain thickness, etc.
> >
> > I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
> > Urban person that I am.
> >
> Bottom round. Use the hammer, S&P, then dredge in flour and fry in neutral
> oil (I use TJ's sunflower oil), and you would a pork chop.
> >
> > -S-
>
> --Bryan

Isn't bottom round a little pricey for you?

The butcher at my main supermarket will run the piece of beef you pick out through their tenderizer
once or twice for you, no,charge. But since you have a manual tenderizer, it'll work fine.

N.

On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 3:42:19 PM UTC-6, jmcquown wrote:
>
> Round steak, pounded with a meat mallet. Or cubed steak (already
> tenderized when you buy it).
>
> Jill
>
>
I used to do the round steak and just whale the daylights out of it. It was awfully tender but I began to feel like the village blacksmith doing all that ferocious pounding. Then I discovered cubed steak and haven't looked back since.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 09:33:40 -0500, Gary > wrote:
>
>> Steve Freides wrote:
>> >
>> > I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
>> > Urban person that I am.
>> >
>> > Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.
>>
>> Certainly just my worthless opinion but I've tried chicken fried steak
>> twice and IMO, it's the best way to ruin an otherwise good steak.
>> ymmv. Rather than bread it, cook it with mushrooms and onions. yum!
>
> Glad you said something. At least I'm not the only one who feels that
> way. It seems like chicken fried steak would be an acceptable dish if
> it was pork based (which means schnitzel), but breaded and fried beef
> doesn't ring any bells for me either.

I actually like it! But nobody else in the house does so I have only ever
made it once. I used cheap, cube steak.

On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 21:43:45 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 09:33:40 -0500, Gary > wrote:
> >
> >> Steve Freides wrote:
> >> >
> >> > I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
> >> > Urban person that I am.
> >> >
> >> > Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.
> >>
> >> Certainly just my worthless opinion but I've tried chicken fried steak
> >> twice and IMO, it's the best way to ruin an otherwise good steak.
> >> ymmv. Rather than bread it, cook it with mushrooms and onions. yum!
> >
> > Glad you said something. At least I'm not the only one who feels that
> > way. It seems like chicken fried steak would be an acceptable dish if
> > it was pork based (which means schnitzel), but breaded and fried beef
> > doesn't ring any bells for me either.
>
> I actually like it! But nobody else in the house does so I have only ever
> made it once. I used cheap, cube steak.

Do you use false teeth to chew it? Honestly, I don't understand. The
only way I can eat cube steak (which I love and have in the
refrigerator to cook) is to braise it for at least 45 minutes.

--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 12:19:44 AM UTC-6, sf wrote:
>
> Do you use false teeth to chew it? Honestly, I don't understand. The
> only way I can eat cube steak (which I love and have in the
> refrigerator to cook) is to braise it for at least 45 minutes.
>
>
I do the country fried steak instead of chicken fried steak. The only difference is the c.f is slipped back into the gravy to very gently simmer for about an hour. Fork tender.

" wrote:
>
> I used to do the round steak and just whale the daylights out of it. It was awfully tender but I began to feel like the village blacksmith doing all that ferocious pounding.

LOL! :-D

On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 4:15:15 AM UTC-6, Gary wrote:
>
> " wrote:
> >
> > I used to do the round steak and just whale the daylights out of it. It was awfully tender but I began to feel like the village blacksmith doing all that ferocious pounding.
>
> LOL! :-D
>
>
This is true story.

Twenty years ago a co-worker gave me her Betty Crocker tried and true recipe for country fried steak and it called for round steak.

I gathered up my wooden mallet meat tenderizer with the metal 'spikes' on one end and headed to the grocery store. There I purchased a good size bottom round steak and then off to honey bun's house to prepare dinner.

An important part of this story is he was turning his smallish attached garage into a den. When I got there and told him what we were having for dinner he said fine. Off he goes to take a shower while I make like Julia Child in the kitchen.

Dutifully I pounded and pounded and pounded that steak. When I got through with it it was HUGE. That did not deter me as I cut it into reasonably sized portions and was proceeding to dredge it in the seasoned flour. About this time b/f is through with his shower and is dressed and comes into the kitchen and asks "did you get the den finished?" He said he could hear me pounding that steak all the way into the bathroom, door shut, and shower on full blast.

All I can add to this story is that the steak that I had pounded to smithereens was fork tender!

Sf, isn't cube steak the same as minute steak? A quick fry in a skillet is all it needs,
if it is minute steak. I can't imagine braising at all.

N.

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 05:32:17 -0800 (PST), Nancy2
> wrote:

> Sf, isn't cube steak the same as minute steak? A quick fry in a skillet is all it needs,
> if it is minute steak. I can't imagine braising at all.
>
As far as I can tell, they're different. Aren't minute steaks paper
thin and found somewhere in the frozen section? I know for a fact,
that cube steaks are tough (in spite of going through the tenderizing
process) and need to be braised for 45-60 minutes, because I cook them
quite often. The grocery store I shop at most often recently switched
all of their meats to USDA Choice and the package of cube steaks I
have in the refrigerator is labeled Choice. It will be my first time
cooking Choice cube steaks, so I think I'll test one at 30 minutes
when I cook them to see if it is tender enough.



--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

Gary wrote:
> Steve Freides wrote:
>>
>> I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already,
>> Northern, Urban person that I am.
>>
>> Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.
>
> Certainly just my worthless opinion but I've tried chicken fried steak
> twice and IMO, it's the best way to ruin an otherwise good steak.
> ymmv. Rather than bread it, cook it with mushrooms and onions. yum!

I've picked your message to respond to - because what we got clearly was
not "otherwise good steak." It was labelled "Top Round for London
Broil" after my wife explained to the butcher that she wanted a cut
suitable for this, that she was going to tenderize it, etc. It was
grass-fed. My wife had explained that she wanted it about 1/2" thick
and she said the butcher cut it in front of her from whatever large
piece of cow this comes from.

Eating it - flavor was excellent! - was like alternately eating tender
steak and eating shoe leather. I watched my wife and I know she really
beat the s#$% out of this piece of beef, which wasn't thick to start
with.

So, we'd like to repeat this experiment and like it to be less chewy and
more chewable. The country fried steak idea that someone mentioned
sounds like an option, but looking online, not everyone agrees which is
which or if they're different at all.

I'm thinking that she needs to change from tenderizing it to trying to
beat it within an inch of its life, and maybe that's what was missing.
There were little sections that weren't overly chewy but I'd say it was
about 50/50, and that's not really good enough.

-S-

Steve Freides wrote:
>
> Gary wrote:
> > Certainly just my worthless opinion but I've tried chicken fried steak
> > twice and IMO, it's the best way to ruin an otherwise good steak.
> > ymmv. Rather than bread it, cook it with mushrooms and onions. yum!
>
> I've picked your message to respond to - because what we got clearly was
> not "otherwise good steak."

(snipping all your review.) If you want to try it better, just buy a
really good steak next time and use that. Pick a tender one. I don't
like steak cooked that way but maybe you two will.

Please report back when you do try again. I'm always willing to
listen and learn. :-D

On 2/18/2015 1:24 AM, wrote:
> On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 12:19:44 AM UTC-6, sf wrote:
>>
>> Do you use false teeth to chew it? Honestly, I don't understand. The
>> only way I can eat cube steak (which I love and have in the
>> refrigerator to cook) is to braise it for at least 45 minutes.
>>
>>
> I do the country fried steak instead of chicken fried steak. The only difference is the c.f is slipped back into the gravy to very gently simmer for about an hour. Fork tender.
>
That's the only way I've ever made it. I've had the other type a time
or two in restaurants but that was years ago.

Jill

On 2/17/2015 11:19 PM, wrote:
> On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 3:42:19 PM UTC-6, jmcquown wrote:
>>
>> Round steak, pounded with a meat mallet. Or cubed steak (already
>> tenderized when you buy it).
>>
>> Jill
>>
>>
> I used to do the round steak and just whale the daylights out of it. It was awfully tender but I began to feel like the village blacksmith doing all that ferocious pounding. Then I discovered cubed steak and haven't looked back since.
>
I haven't seen cubed steaks in years. I think I saw some in the online
ad for Piggly Wiggly but I'm not driving extra miles just to buy cubed
steaks. (I would have had to buy a "family pack" of them, too.)

Jill

On 2/18/2015 6:12 AM, wrote:
> On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 4:15:15 AM UTC-6, Gary wrote:
>>
>> " wrote:
>>>
>>> I used to do the round steak and just whale the daylights out of it. It was awfully tender but I began to feel like the village blacksmith doing all that ferocious pounding.
>>
>> LOL! :-D
>>
>>
> This is true story.
>
> Twenty years ago a co-worker gave me her Betty Crocker tried and true recipe for country fried steak and it called for round steak.
>
> I gathered up my wooden mallet meat tenderizer with the metal 'spikes' on one end and headed to the grocery store. There I purchased a good size bottom round steak and then off to honey bun's house to prepare dinner.
>
> An important part of this story is he was turning his smallish attached garage into a den. When I got there and told him what we were having for dinner he said fine. Off he goes to take a shower while I make like Julia Child in the kitchen.
>
> Dutifully I pounded and pounded and pounded that steak. When I got through with it it was HUGE. That did not deter me as I cut it into reasonably sized portions and was proceeding to dredge it in the seasoned flour. About this time b/f is through with his shower and is dressed and comes into the kitchen and asks "did you get the den finished?" He said he could hear me pounding that steak all the way into the bathroom, door shut, and shower on full blast.
>
> All I can add to this story is that the steak that I had pounded to smithereens was fork tender!
>
That's a fun memory.

Jill

On 2015-02-18, jmcquown > wrote:

> I haven't seen cubed steaks in years.

Lucky you! If you had seen them, it might break yer heart. Around
here, they are going for $3.95 lb! For a freakin' cube stk! I'd make
my own, but those blade tenderizers are not cheap, either.

nb

On 2/18/2015 10:39 AM, notbob wrote:
> On 2015-02-18, jmcquown > wrote:
>
>> I haven't seen cubed steaks in years.
>
> Lucky you! If you had seen them, it might break yer heart. Around
> here, they are going for $3.95 lb! For a freakin' cube stk! I'd make
> my own, but those blade tenderizers are not cheap, either.
>
> nb
>
That's why I always just bought round steak and used a meat mallet.
Alas, round steak isn't cheap like it used to be, either, although I
couldn't begin to tell you the price per pound these days.

Jill

On 2015-02-17, Steve Freides > wrote:
> My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
> beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods.....

As if the dish didn't have enough different animals in it, make sure you fry yer
CFS in lard or bacon grease. Otherwise, yer jes wasting yer time.

nb

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 06:18:37 -0800, sf > wrote:

snip
I know for a fact,
>that cube steaks are tough (in spite of going through the tenderizing
>process) and need to be braised for 45-60 minutes, because I cook them
>quite oft
snip
I don't buy cube steaks anymore just because they are so darn tough.
They used to be a treat.
Janet US

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 09:29:16 -0700, Janet B >
wrote:

> On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 06:18:37 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
> snip
> I know for a fact,
> >that cube steaks are tough (in spite of going through the tenderizing
> >process) and need to be braised for 45-60 minutes, because I cook them
> >quite oft
> snip
> I don't buy cube steaks anymore just because they are so darn tough.
> They used to be a treat.

Let them braise for a while and they'll be fork tender, seriously! I
went through 30 years of avoiding them just because I didn't know how
to cook them properly.

--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 10:06:42 -0500, jmcquown >
wrote:

> On 2/18/2015 1:24 AM, wrote:
> > On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 12:19:44 AM UTC-6, sf wrote:
> >>
> >> Do you use false teeth to chew it? Honestly, I don't understand. The
> >> only way I can eat cube steak (which I love and have in the
> >> refrigerator to cook) is to braise it for at least 45 minutes.
> >>
> >>
> > I do the country fried steak instead of chicken fried steak. The only difference is the c.f is slipped back into the gravy to very gently simmer for about an hour. Fork tender.
> >
> That's the only way I've ever made it. I've had the other type a time
> or two in restaurants but that was years ago.
>
What's the point of frying it if you're going to braise afterward? It
won't be crispy anymore, so it's a waste of time and effort. I'm not
finding a difference between chicken fried and country fried either.
The terms seem to be interchangeable.
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/...FriedSteak.htm

--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 09:38:59 -0500, Gary > wrote:

> Steve Freides wrote:
> >
> > Gary wrote:
> > > Certainly just my worthless opinion but I've tried chicken fried steak
> > > twice and IMO, it's the best way to ruin an otherwise good steak.
> > > ymmv. Rather than bread it, cook it with mushrooms and onions. yum!
> >
> > I've picked your message to respond to - because what we got clearly was
> > not "otherwise good steak."
>
> (snipping all your review.) If you want to try it better, just buy a
> really good steak next time and use that. Pick a tender one. I don't
> like steak cooked that way but maybe you two will.
>
> Please report back when you do try again. I'm always willing to
> listen and learn. :-D

I'm with you about the mushrooms and onions. Sear the steak in a hot
cast iron pan and saute up some mushrooms & onions while it rests.

--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

On 18 Feb 2015 15:39:28 GMT, notbob > wrote:

> On 2015-02-18, jmcquown > wrote:
>
> > I haven't seen cubed steaks in years.
>
> Lucky you! If you had seen them, it might break yer heart. Around
> here, they are going for $3.95 lb! For a freakin' cube stk! I'd make
> my own, but those blade tenderizers are not cheap, either.
>
I bought one for under $10 last week. Mine isn't blades, it's spikes.


--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 8:26:19 AM UTC-5, Steve Freides wrote:
> My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
> beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods, so we don't
> have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in another
> situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that one's a drive
> and the local one is a walk.)

> I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
> Urban person that I am.

Same here. Nahthin' MY mother ever made. Why do they call it chicken fried steak - no chicken involved. Because it's beef treated like fried chicken?

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 09:30:47 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
> wrote:

> On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 8:26:19 AM UTC-5, Steve Freides wrote:
> > My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
> > beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods, so we don't
> > have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in another
> > situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that one's a drive
> > and the local one is a walk.)
>
> > I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
> > Urban person that I am.
>
> Same here. Nahthin' MY mother ever made. Why do they call it chicken fried steak - no chicken involved. Because it's beef treated like fried chicken?

Yes,because it's coated and fried the same way as they do chicken. I
just coat mine in seasoned flour and saute a bit. There's no reason
to go through all the trouble of an egg coating and deepish frying to
make a crispy coating when you're going to simmer it in a white sauce
for another 45 minutes. My sauce is a mushroom and onion brown gravy
(thickened by the flour on the cube steaks). I just pour broth into
the pan and put a cover on it. Half an hour later, it's gravy.

--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 09:38:28 -0800, sf > wrote:
snip
>
>Yes,because it's coated and fried the same way as they do chicken. I
>just coat mine in seasoned flour and saute a bit. There's no reason
>to go through all the trouble of an egg coating and deepish frying to
>make a crispy coating when you're going to simmer it in a white sauce
>for another 45 minutes. My sauce is a mushroom and onion brown gravy
>(thickened by the flour on the cube steaks). I just pour broth into
>the pan and put a cover on it. Half an hour later, it's gravy.

This is the way that I do mine. This link is as good as any and has a
picture. http://tinyurl.com/mhfgxm6
However, Alton Brown has instructions on cutting the raw meat with the
grain and then tenderizing. http://tinyurl.com/p3wh5pr
That seems to make a lot of sense to me.
When buying the meat, you have to select a piece without a lot of
silver skin or fibrous tissue.
Janet US

"sf" > wrote in message
...

> Yes,because it's coated and fried the same way as they do chicken. I
> just coat mine in seasoned flour and saute a bit. There's no reason
> to go through all the trouble of an egg coating and deepish frying to
> make a crispy coating when you're going to simmer it in a white sauce
> for another 45 minutes. My sauce is a mushroom and onion brown gravy
> (thickened by the flour on the cube steaks). I just pour broth into
> the pan and put a cover on it. Half an hour later, it's gravy.

That's not how it's made where I come from. We don't simmer it in white
sauce at all, we make cream gravy that is spooned over the top of the very
crispy chicken fried steak just before eating. Different places have
different ways of doing it though.

Cheri

"Janet B" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 09:38:28 -0800, sf > wrote:
> snip
>>
>>Yes,because it's coated and fried the same way as they do chicken. I
>>just coat mine in seasoned flour and saute a bit. There's no reason
>>to go through all the trouble of an egg coating and deepish frying to
>>make a crispy coating when you're going to simmer it in a white sauce
>>for another 45 minutes. My sauce is a mushroom and onion brown gravy
>>(thickened by the flour on the cube steaks). I just pour broth into
>>the pan and put a cover on it. Half an hour later, it's gravy.
>
> This is the way that I do mine. This link is as good as any and has a
> picture. http://tinyurl.com/mhfgxm6
> However, Alton Brown has instructions on cutting the raw meat with the


Yes, that's how we do it too, same with my mom and grandma.

Cheri

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 13:12:44 -0600, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 09:38:28 -0800, sf wrote:
>
>> Yes,because it's coated and fried the same way as they do chicken. I
>> just coat mine in seasoned flour and saute a bit. There's no reason
>> to go through all the trouble of an egg coating and deepish frying to
>> make a crispy coating when you're going to simmer it in a white sauce
>> for another 45 minutes. My sauce is a mushroom and onion brown gravy
>> (thickened by the flour on the cube steaks). I just pour broth into
>> the pan and put a cover on it. Half an hour later, it's gravy.
>
>What you're describing is swiss steak, not country fried steak.

Ha! Forgot that one.

J.

>
>-sw

On 2015-02-17 13:26:28 +0000, Steve Freides said:

> My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
> beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods, so we don't
> have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in another
> situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that one's a
> drive and the local one is a walk.)
>
> We bought a meat tenderizer "hammer" yesterday - she tells me the idea
> is to tenderize a relatively inexpensive cut of beef for this -
> recommendations for cuts of beef appreciated, plus any guidance to give
> the butcher at WF, e.g., do I want it a certain thickness, etc.
>
> I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
> Urban person that I am.
>
> Links to favorite recipes also welcomed, and thanks in advance.
>
> -S-

I would use the onglet or diaphragmatic column.

On 2/18/2015 12:11 PM, sf wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 10:06:42 -0500, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>> On 2/18/2015 1:24 AM, wrote:
>>> On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 12:19:44 AM UTC-6, sf wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Do you use false teeth to chew it? Honestly, I don't understand. The
>>>> only way I can eat cube steak (which I love and have in the
>>>> refrigerator to cook) is to braise it for at least 45 minutes.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I do the country fried steak instead of chicken fried steak. The only difference is the c.f is slipped back into the gravy to very gently simmer for about an hour. Fork tender.
>>>
>> That's the only way I've ever made it. I've had the other type a time
>> or two in restaurants but that was years ago.
>>
> What's the point of frying it if you're going to braise afterward?

You don't understand, the point is not that it be crispy crunchy. Don't
you ever coat anything in flour before browning it?

On the rare occasions I make Swiss steak (or pork chops in gravy) I
always dredge the meat in seasoned flour. Brown in oil, sometimes
deglaze with wine, then braise in liquid. Same thing when I'm prepping
cubes of beef for stew.

> won't be crispy anymore, so it's a waste of time and effort. I'm not
> finding a difference between chicken fried and country fried either.
> The terms seem to be interchangeable.
> http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/...FriedSteak.htm
>
Yeah, there are lots of disputes about terminology and methods. I
merely said how I've cooked it (floured, browned, then simmered in WHITE
gravy) myself. At home.

Jill

On 2/18/2015 7:38 AM, sf wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 09:30:47 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
> > wrote:
>
>> On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 8:26:19 AM UTC-5, Steve Freides wrote:
>>> My wife wants to try making chicken fried steak; we eat only grass-fed
>>> beef here, bought from the local, and small, Whole Foods, so we don't
>>> have as broad a selection of cuts of meat as one might in another
>>> situation. (There's a bigger WF not too far away but that one's a drive
>>> and the local one is a walk.)
>>
>>> I am ignorant about this dish if that's not obvious already, Northern,
>>> Urban person that I am.
>>
>> Same here. Nahthin' MY mother ever made. Why do they call it chicken fried steak - no chicken involved. Because it's beef treated like fried chicken?
>
> Yes,because it's coated and fried the same way as they do chicken. I
> just coat mine in seasoned flour and saute a bit. There's no reason
> to go through all the trouble of an egg coating and deepish frying to
> make a crispy coating when you're going to simmer it in a white sauce
> for another 45 minutes. My sauce is a mushroom and onion brown gravy
> (thickened by the flour on the cube steaks). I just pour broth into
> the pan and put a cover on it. Half an hour later, it's gravy.
>

Oh boy! Swiss steak was one of my favorite dishes to make when I was a
kid. It would be braised in a tomato sauce and I can recall the taste
and smell and feel of it to this day. My parents were probably pleased too.