Chicken Fried Steak with Southern Style Peppered Milk Gravy

Step 1

Preheat oven to the lowest setting to hold cooked steaks. Place a rack on top of a paper towel lined baking sheet and set aside.

Step 2

Heat  cooking oil and bacon fat or butter in a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium to medium high, to 350 degrees F.

Step 3

In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder; remove and set aside 1/4 cup of the seasoned flour mixture.

Step 4

In another bowl, beat the 1 cup buttermilk or milk with the two eggs and hot sauce. Lightly sprinkle the cube steaks with the Cajun seasoning and pound the seasoning in. Cut steaks into smaller serving pieces, if desired.

Step 5

Dredge the steaks first in the seasoned flour, shaking to remove the excess flour, then dip them into the egg wash, and back into the flour; set aside on a platter while oil is heating.

Step 6

Carefully slide the meat into the hot oil, immediately moving it around to allow hot oil to get underneath and make sure it does not stick.

Step 7

Cook the cube steaks in batches over a medium to medium high heat until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Place the cooked steaks on the prepared rack and keep warm in the oven.

Step 8

For the gravy, drain off most the oil. Add butter to skillet and return enough of the oil as needed to equal a total of 1/4 cup of fat. Sprinkle in the reserved 1/4 cup of seasoned flour, and using a wooden spoon, cook and stir constantly, scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until mixture is blended in and a very light blond color.

Step 9

Begin whisking in 1-1/2 cups of milk very quickly, bring to a boil and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. Adjust consistency as needed by adding more milk.

Step 10

Taste gravy and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Retrieve the steaks from the oven, plate and spoon a bit of the gravy across the center of the steak. Serve with mashed potatoes and southern green beans.