Chicken fried steak is a beloved comfort food for many across the southern United States and beyond. But its curious name often leaves people scratching their heads – if it’s chicken fried, then why is it made with steak? What exactly is the meat in chicken fried steak called? I’m here to get to the bottom of this culinary conundrum.
A Brief History of Chicken Fried Steak
While its exact origins are unclear most sources point to German and Austrian immigrants in Texas during the 19th century as the creators of chicken fried steak. They likely adapted their traditional wiener schnitzel recipe to work with the inexpensive cuts of beef readily available in the region. The earliest recipe for chicken fried steak appeared in The Virginia Housewife cookbook in 1838. By the early 1900s, versions of the dish were commonplace in cookbooks and restaurants across the south.
cuts of meat Commonly Used for Chicken Fried Steak
- Cube steak – This is one of the most popular cuts used to make chicken fried steak. Cube steak is top round or top sirloin that has been tenderized by pounding or running it through a mechanical tenderizer. This helps break down the tough muscle fibers.
- Round steak – Affordable round steak from the rear leg or hindquarters of the cow is another good choice. It can be tenderized in the same way as cube steak.
- Sirloin steak – While more expensive, sirloin steak has good marbling that keeps it tender. It is sometimes seen in chicken fried steak recipes.
- Chuck steak – Chuck steak from the shoulder region can work but will likely need extra pounding or slicing to make it tender enough.
So while it may go by different specific names, the meat used for chicken fried steak is almost always an inexpensive, tough cut of beef that benefits from mechanical or manual tenderizing.
The Significance of “Chicken Fried”
This brings us to the perplexing “chicken fried” part of the name. What does this mean?
Quite simply, it refers to the preparation method. Chicken fried steak is cooked using the same technique as fried chicken. The meat is dredged in seasoned flour, dipped in egg wash, then covered again in flour or breadcrumbs before being fried until golden brown. The coating helps seal in the juices.
So while the meat itself is beef the chicken frying process gives it that crispy, crunchy exterior we know and love. This cooking method is what ties it to fried chicken and gave chicken fried steak its memorable name.
Regional Differences
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In Texas and neighboring states, chicken fried steak is usually made with cube steak and deep fried for maximum crunchiness. It’s served doused in creamy pepper gravy.
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In the Midwest, you may find chicken fried steak made with round steak, pan-fried instead of deep fried. It often comes with brown gravy seasoned with onions.
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Cooking method varies too – deep frying is common in the South while pan frying prevails in the Midwest.
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Up north and out west, chicken fried steak is less common but a fixture on some diner menus. Recipes run the gamut when it comes to cut of meat and frying method.
So in different areas you may find slight tweaks to the meat and cooking process used for chicken fried steak. But the end result is comfort food at its finest!
Common Ways to Serve Chicken Fried Steak
However the meat is prepared, chicken fried steak is seldom eaten on its own. Here are some classic pairings and serving suggestions:
- Smothered in creamy pepper or sausage gravy – a quintessential southern tradition!
- With mashed potatoes and green beans or collard greens.
- Sandwiched between two pieces of Texas toast or a biscuit with gravy for dipping.
- Diced up and served over a baked potato along with cheddar cheese.
- On a bun as a chicken fried steak sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and condiments.
- Alongside eggs, hashbrowns and toast for a hearty breakfast or brunch.
Cooking Tips for the Best Chicken Fried Steak at Home
Want to try making this comforting classic yourself? Here are some tips:
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Use cube steak or slice top round or chuck steak thin (1/4 – 1/2 inch). Pound with meat tenderizer to soften it up.
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Season the flour with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and other spices of choice.
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Refrigerate the breaded meat for 30 minutes or more before frying to help coating adhere.
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Use a heavy skillet or Dutch oven and heat oil to 350°F before frying.
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Fry for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
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Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute.
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Make plenty of gravy to pour over the top!
Satisfy Your Comfort Food Cravings
So there you have it – the mysteries of chicken fried steak explained. While the name may seem puzzling, it’s simply steak fried up using the same technique as fried chicken. And when this tender, juicy meat is smothered in gravy and served with all the sides, who cares what it’s called? All that matters is that first mouthwatering bite. I don’t know about you, but I’m craving it already!
Putting the “Chicken-Fried” in the Steak
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CFSs strange name comes from its batter, which should closely resemble the best fried chicken crust youve ever had. I know my way around fried chicken, so this part seemed like a no-brainer to me.
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I started with my standard batter station: First I dredged the steaks in plain flour, followed by a dip in an egg-and-buttermilk mixture, and finally a coating of flour dampened with buttermilk and seasoned with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, and black pepper.
That final coating of dampened flour is important because its what ultimately gives the fried crust its craggy texture and extra-crispiness.
Next, I rested the steaks on a wire rack, which helps set the coating so that it stays intact when you fry it.
To avoid the mess of deep frying, I shallow-fried these steaks in a cast iron skillet. But that led to a few problems. First, the batter didnt brown evenly, since the areas not touching the bottom of the pan cooked at a slower rate. Second, the breading got smashed against the bottom of the pan, ruining the three-dimensional craggy texture I was aiming for. Third, after the first couple steaks, pieces of blackened crust that had fallen off previous batches started to embed themselves in the subsequent ones. And fourth, my breading, which has always worked great for my fried chicken, was just too thick and heavy on the steak.
It turns out that CFS, despite its name, doesnt work exactly like fried chicken. Back to the drawing board.
Steak Tips
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First things first, lets all agree to call chicken-fried steak by its proper acronym going forward, CFS. With that part settled, its time to tackle a major issue: finding the right steak.
The spirit of CFS dictates that it be made with a cheap steak. That steak also needs to be tender. See the problem? Cheap and tender are two words that dont generally go together when describing cuts of beef. I began my tests by picking up four of the least expensive cuts I could find, including bottom round, eye round, sirloin tip, and cube steak (the most popular cut for CFS, and usually made of round thats been run through a tenderizer a couple times).
For each cut, I pounded the steak even thinner than it came, placing each in a plastic bag and going at them with my rolling pin until they were between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick (a meat pounder or small skillet will work too).
I whipped up some initial batches and enlisted the tasting help of some of my Texan friends. Everyone agreed on a clear winner: The sirloin tip was the most tender and had the best beefy flavor by far. Cube steak may be the peoples choice for CFS, but it took a distant second place to sirloin tip in terms of both texture and flavor. Bottom round and eye round, meanwhile, were tough and flavorless, and if it werent for the delicious crust, they probably would have been fed to the dogs.
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FAQ
What type of meat is used in chicken-fried steak?
Chicken fried steak is made most often with cube steak, or steak that has already been tenderized, or a cheap cut like round steak. It was originally created to make a cheap cut of meat taste better. No matter which cut you use, you have to pound it thin with a meat mallet.
What animal is the meat of a chicken-fried steak?
But this home-style favorite has nothing to do with chicken except in the way it’s cooked. Chicken Fried Steak (CFS for short) is thinly pounded out beef.
What is the real name for chicken-fried steak?
Chicken-fried steak, also known as country-fried steak, is an American Southern breaded cutlet dish consisting of a piece of beefsteak (most often tenderized cube steak) coated with seasoned flour and either deep-fried or pan-fried. It is associated with the Southern cuisine of the United States.
What is another name for chicken steak?
Blade steak. The beef top blade steak (also known as the chicken steak) comes from the chuck section of a steer or heifer.