A chicken fried steak travesty-new place is on The List

[Chuckie]

The pictures of the Chicken Fried Steak on the menus always looked like soybean patties. I never was sure what one was made out of. Now I do.

 

[dieselbeef]

Never had a CFS - I like my steaks more than an inch thick - burned on the outside and running red on the inside.

Some garlic and too much salt and I am a happy camper.

Trim the fat off my steak before you cook it and I will not eat it. I like to eat that charred fat.

I also never send anything back. I am a suspicious person when it comes to doing that.

Bez__

yep..but i do like a country fried steak i call em...unless theyre made of chicken...it aint hard to make but it is hard to make right

 

[greybeard]

The pictures of the Chicken Fried Steak on the menus always looked like soybean patties. I never was sure what one was made out of. Now I do.

Back when soy was all the rage of the health crowd, you did have to be careful about ordering a CFS. Still see some boxed battered soy patties in the freezer sections of bulk type grocery stores disguised as a chicken fried or country fried steak but it's much rarer now than back in the early/mid 70s.

Bez, I too prefer a real steak--ribeye, Tbone/porterhouse, but I like the flavor of a CFS as well and if I don't always want to spend $20 (or more) for a real steak, especially in unfamilar territory so I always opt for a chicken fried steak. Like I said, if a place can't even fix one of those right, they're more than likely going to royally screw up a good Tbone too.
CFS is so popular here, it is simply a time honored tradition and screwing one up, and the customers accepting it leads to all kinds of bigger problems down the road. Next thing ya know, it will be ok for some dopehead to pee on the wall of The Alamo or say bad stuff about Sam Houston. The slippery slope--once you start down it.....

State legislature declared Oct 26 as the official Chicken Fried Steak Day.

But, I'm pretty much over this now tho, and no longer want to go by in the middle of the night and firebomb the place. :lol: :lol:
I'll just stop by some time and explain to the manager that Texas ain't Cambodia and the cook ain't Pol Pot.

 

[Ouachita]

GB, I understand your disgust. If you are ever near Little Rock (Benton which is about 3 loud hollers west) it will be worthwhile. http://brownscountryrestaurant.com/about/
Can't miss it. Right on I30
I've never been disappointed. In addition to the food, there is some interesting history. I expect you'll get the CFS, and I recommend you ask the waitress to have the cook do it now rather than getting it from the buffet. It's all good, but I like anything fried to be fresh fried.

 

[slick4591]

He ain't lying. Been to Browns a couple of times myself. They've got some really good food and if you leave hungry, it's your own fault.

 

[greybeard]

Twin brother lives on the outskirts of LR--next time I'm up there, I'll check Browns out.

 

[Bigfoot]

I don't fry anything anymore, but my tail on a hot tractor seat. I used to ride the north south trail in Land Between the Lakes once a year. It takes two days. Me and a buddy would stop for the night, and have chicken fried T-bone steaks, and beer bread. All made on a camp fire. It'd kill me to ride two days now, if cfs didn't get me first.

 

[greybeard]

I have home made chicken fried bacon about once a year most of the time.
It is, just what it sounds like. Strips of bacon, breaded in the same mixture you make a CFS with, then deep fried and served with cream gravy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_fried_bacon

 

[wacocowboy]

I love some good CFS one of my favorite meals right next to grilled steak rare, and chicken and dumplings, and all 3 must be done right or they ain't fit for the dog. Best CFS I ever at a restaurant was in Tomball TX I can't remember the name of the place but it was good.

 

[CottageFarm]

I've had never made nor eaten CFS before last night, but this thread made me want to give it a try.
My husband said it was like what he's had in restaurants, but I found it nearly inedible, and shared half of it with the dog. Tough as shoe leather. I did add the step of using a papain based tenderizer for about 15 minutes.
This is the recipe that I basically followed:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chicken-fried-steak-recipe.html

I don't have the fancy piercing tenderizer that he used, just the palm of my hand and a wood mallet. Maybe I didn't beat the snot out of it long enough? Or is it just going to be tough with a bottom round no matter what I do?

 

[3waycross]

I've had never made nor eaten CFS before last night, but this thread made me want to give it a try.
My husband said it was like what he's had in restaurants, but I found it nearly inedible, and shared half of it with the dog. Tough as shoe leather. I did add the step of using a papain based tenderizer for about 15 minutes.
This is the recipe that I basically followed:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chicken-fried-steak-recipe.html

I don't have the fancy piercing tenderizer that he used, just the palm of my hand and a wood mallet. Maybe I didn't beat the snot out of it long enough? Or is it just going to be tough with a bottom round no matter what I do?

Maybe you just cooked it too long> Next time try some really crappy ribeye, it might surprise you!

 

[CottageFarm]

Coulda been overcooked, though it wasn't dry just needed (much) sharper teeth to chew it :lol2:
The dog thought it was great!
So you're sayin forget the round steak? I don't think I can do that to a ribeye.... well maybe if it's a crappy one :lol:
Maybe I'll just keep the rounds for Beef & Stout pie....

 

[slick4591]

Over cooking it will make it like shoe leather. Back when the older ladies in the family made it they took a saucer and turned it on edge, then beat the crap out of the meat. Now-a-days you buy round steak already tenderized.

Back when I did the restaurant I first offered a frozen, glued together CFS (not whole muscle). Later I put the grill and I started using tenderized round. The older ladies would complain that they were tough. They were used to the frozen and had forgotten what real meat was.

 

[Alan]

Cottage, it sounds like you needed to beat the snot out of it more :lol: . It probably wasn't tenderized enough. But I know what you mean about just having a wood mallet or rolling pin. When we butcher a steer I'll have the processor run a few low grade steaks thru their tenderizer, he labels them as "cube steaks" . Good eats and plenty tender.

 

[CottageFarm]

I've always cooked meat to how it "feels" when pinched between tongs, but I didn't know what this was supposed to feel like since it didn't say whether it should be rare, medium, well, etc, so I went with the time in the recipe. What should I be shooting for on the doneness?

Alan, yeah, sounds like I need to beat it up a lot more than I did. :lol: Southern cooking sure is tricky.
I've never had the butcher cube anything for me since I usually just use rounds for long, braised stuff that doesn't need it.
Or sliced thin for stir fry that works just dandy with a chemical tenderizer. Maybe I'll turn my husband loose on them next time...or I guess I could try using a framing hammer... :lol2: :help:

 

[CottageFarm]

GB, sorry I hijacked your thread and turned it into a cooking lesson :dunce:

 

[Ouachita]

GB, sorry I hijacked your thread and turned it into a cooking lesson :dunce:

You could probably make it up to him by changing your sig line to.....
"He that lives upon CF's CFS alone, will die fasting" :lol2:

 

[greybeard]

GB, sorry I hijacked your thread and turned it into a cooking lesson :dunce:

No problem about the alleged hijacking, but after reading how your's turned out, you're now on...............The List.
Sorry--dems the rules.

(Alton Brown is a funny guy, but he is after all, from Los Angeles. What the hades would he know about a real chicken fried steak?)
Cook them to no more than a medium and keep in mind that any fried food is going to continue to cook a little bit right after you remove it from the oil or lard.

I had a CFS just yesterday at a Mexican food joint in Refugio Texas. It was perfection. I never picked up the knife--cut it with a fork-----------at a Mexican food joint--and not a very fancy looking place either.

 

[Ouachita]

Most folks might find that interesting; that you had a good CFS in a no name place.
I have found it to be an expectation to eat a good one in a hole in the wall place

 

[wacocowboy]

Most folks might find that interesting; that you had a good CFS in a no name place.
I have found it to be an expectation to eat a good one in a hole in the wall place

Some of the best food I have ever eaten has been in hole in the walls or dives or bars or sale barn cafes. I know a few dives make some great CFS or on Fridays all you can eat catfish and one place makes a great grilled prime rib.