country fried steak with pepper gravy

How to make country fried steak with pepper gravy recipe - Also known as “chicken fried steak” for its similarity to fried chicken, this Southern dish is home cooking at its best.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME 15 mins, plus soaking, COOK TIME 35 mins

Ingredients:
4 x 51⁄2oz (150g) tenderized
rump or sirloin steaks, whole
1 cup whole milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup peanut or sunflower oil, for frying

For the gravy:
1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk

For the home fries:
2 1⁄4lb (1kg) potatoes, such as Russet
4 slices smoked bacon
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
pinch of red pepper flakes

Method:
1 Soak the steaks overnight in milk with salt and black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. The following day, take out the steaks and set aside. Beat the egg into the milk in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with salt and black pepper, and the remaining cayenne pepper.

2 In a frying pan, heat the oil until hot. Toss each steak in the flour, then dip into the milk mixture, and again in the flour. Fry for 3–5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Watch the meat carefully so that it does not burn.

3 Once the meat is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside. Drain two-thirds of the oil. For the gravy, add the flour to the remaining oil in the pan and whisk to a thick paste. Slowly add the milk, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Once a thick gravy has formed, remove from the heat and season generously with black pepper.

4 For the home fries, cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, leaving the skins on, cut the potatoes into 3⁄4in (2cm) strips.

5 In a large, nonstick frying pan, dry-fry the bacon until crisp. Crumble the bacon and add the potatoes along with the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste. Cook over medium heat
until crisp. Serve the steaks with a generous portion of the gravy and home fries on the side.