A Touch of Country

Mr. G likes to tell people that even though his wife is from "Burke County" that she is not a country girl. In part that is somewhat true. I don't really like country cooking, but for his sake I thought that I would try the mysterious dish of Chicken Fried Steak. Is it chicken or is it steak? Lucky for me Sunny Anderson was cooking this the other day, so I borrowed the recipe from her. Hope you enjoy.

Sunny's Chicken Fried Steak with Diced Potato Gravy
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 pounds cube steak
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

In a medium bowl, wisk the eggs, cumin, cayenne powder, and salt and pepper. Add the steaks, stir to coat, and let sit 10 minutes. In a paper bag combine the flour, cornstarch, and a few pinches of salt and a few turns of pepper. Remove the steaks from egg mixture and put into the paper bag. Roll the top of the bag to close and shake until the steaks are evenly coated. Put onto a baking sheet with a rack and let sit 10 minutes.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add oil and let the temperature get to about 370 degrees. Fry the steaks, in batches, only flipping once when color is golden and a poke releases no red juices about 2-3 minutes on each side. Put on baking sheet and keep in oven to stay warm.

Diced Potato Gravy
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 large baking potato diced

In a large pot heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender about 3 minutes. Wisk in the flour, stirring to combine with butter. Add the bay leaf and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, then add the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are tender and the gravy has thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the gravy poured over the steak for a perfect country dinner.