Chicken Fried Steak is one of Brian’s all-time favorite dishes. With a nod to its Southern roots, this version, made with high-quality steak, is over-the-top good. The type of steak you choose is nearly as important as its quality. If you use round steak, tenderize it first by pounding it with a studded meat mallet (or tenderizer too!) until it’s as thin as possible. Cube steak is a version of top sirloin or top round that’s been run through an electric tenderizer. This is such a brawny dish that it can seem unapproachable, but don’t be afraid to try it at home.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

For the Gravy

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter or bacon grease
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk, plus more if needed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Steak

• 6 (4-ounce) round steaks for cube steaks
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

To make the gravy, in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the roux turns a toasty golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the milk, whisking constantly, until well combined. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Return the heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens to your liking, about 4 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and adjust the gravy thickness with a little milk if you like. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

If using round steaks, place one steak on a cutting board and pound it with a studded meat mallet to an even thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Repeat with all of the steaks. Season the steaks lightly on both sides with salt and place on a large rimmed baking sheet.

In a wide shallow dish or pie pan, whisk together the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. In a second wide shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and milk. Working with one steak at a time, dredge the steak in the flour, pressing the mixture into the steak and then shaking off the excess. Dip the steak in the egg mixture, turning to coat and then letting the excess drip back into the dish. Finally, dredge in the flour a second time, pressing it into the steak and gently shaking off the excess. Return the steak to the baking sheet and repeat to coat all the steaks.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and put it in the oven.

Fill a large heavy frying pan with enough oil to reach 1/4 to 1/2 inch up the side. Place the pan over medium-high heat and warm the oil until hot but not smoking (350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer). In batches, fry the steaks, turning once, until the outsides are a crisp golden brown and the meat is just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to the wire rack in the oven and repeat with the remaining steaks.

Rewarm the gravy over low heat, stirring, until hot. Serve the steaks at once with plenty of gravy over top.