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Chicken Fried Steak with Sawmill Gravy

Source of Recipe

From "Saveur: The New Classics"


Recipe Introduction

"The thick, crunchy crust is one of our favorite things about Southern-style chicken fried steak. The sawmill gravy — a creamy gravy, likely named for its 19th-century popularity as a meal served to lumberjacks working at, yes, sawmills in Appalachia — isn't so bad, either."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 cups flour
◦ 2 teaspoons paprika
◦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
◦ 1 cup buttermilk
◦ 1 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce
◦ 1 egg
◦ 4 (4- to 6-ounce) cube steaks, pounded to ¼-inch thickness
◦ Canola oil, for frying
◦ Sawmill Gravy (recipe follows)


Recipe

Heat oven to 200° F; put a baking sheet fitted with a rack inside. In a shallow dish, whisk together flour, paprika, salt, and pepper. In another dish, whisk together buttermilk, Tabasco, and egg. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Working with one steak at a time, dredge in flour mixture, then egg mixture, and again in flour; shake off excess. Transfer to plate.

Pour oil to a depth of ½ inch into a 12-inch cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 320° F. Working in two batches, fry steaks, flipping once, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Place steaks on rack in oven to keep warm.

Make gravy as directed, then serve steaks with gravy.


Serves 4


Sawmill Gravy:

◦  2 slices bacon, finely chopped
◦  ½ pound pork breakfast sausage (homemade or store-bought), casings removed
◦  ½ cup flour
◦  3 cups milk
◦  ½ cup heavy cream
◦  1 Tbsp cider vinegar
◦  ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
◦  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place bacon in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until its fat renders, about 3 minutes.

Add sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add milk and cream and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until gravy is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Add vinegar, cayenne, and salt and pepper and stir until combined. Serve immediately.


Serves 6