Chicken-Fried Steak With Cream

Step 1

Make the gravy: Melt the butter with the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth and deep golden brown, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer, whisking to remove any lumps, until the gravy thickens, 4 to 6 minutes. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cover and remove from the heat.

Step 2

Make the steak: Place the steaks between 2 pieces of heavy-duty plastic wrap and pound to 1/8 inch thick with a mallet or heavy skillet. Season generously with salt and pepper. Whisk the flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk the milk and eggs. One at a time, dredge each steak in the flour mixture, dip in the egg mixture, then return to the flour mixture, pressing firmly to coat. Transfer the breaded steaks to a rack.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Set another rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. One at a time, fry the steaks until golden brown, turning once, about 5 minutes (return the oil to 350 degrees F between each steak). Transfer the finished steaks to the rack on the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you make the rest.

Step 4

Meanwhile, reheat the gravy. Stir in some water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the gravy is too thick. Drizzle the fried steak with the gravy and top with scallions.