Today I made a real down home Texan favorite, Chicken Fried Steak, from the Southwest section on page 306.
I love finding out the history of how these American dishes were borne. It’s likely that chicken fried steak came from the German settlers who came to Texas from the 1840s -1860s as a variation of wiener schnitzel. Tough cuts of beef were more readily available to them than veal so they simply adapted the recipe to reflect this. Much of American cuisine comes from this tradition of early immigrants bringing their culture to their new home and adjusting it to the popular and affordable meats and vegetables of the region they settled in. This is what makes American food so diverse and so special.
Not only is this a yummy and filling meal, it’s also a great way to take inexpensive cuts of beef and make them more tender. Martha’s recipe calls for minute steaks, but I used top round and pounded it with a meat tenderizing mallet. The chicken fried steak was so easy to make and so was the gravy. With a side of mashed potaotes and a simple side salad, this was a real stick-to-your-ribs satisfying recipe that’s also easy to make and easy on the wallet.
