For many of us, chicken-fried steak is imbued with nostalgia. This iconic Texas dish satisfies a rumbling stomach, and it hits the spot when you crave something comforting. It was designed to transform tough, cheap cuts of meat into something delicious. Its humble roots epitomize scratch cooking and harkens back to a time when people valued every ingredient. For me, chicken fried steak symbolizes something more: emotional nourishment and the love for friends and family.

Growing up, my mom battled bone marrow cancer. She had good days and bad, but it didn’t leave her with a lot of energy for cooking. So, every Thursday night I had dinner with my best friend’s family in the small country town of North Texas where we lived. Mrs. Stone always served chicken-fried steak smothered with cream gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Oh—and of course, iced tea to wash it all down. It was Mr. Stone’s favorite meal, and it quickly became mine.

This recipe is a tribute to a family that did so much for me during a difficult time of my life. I decided to keep it pretty simple and true to the original as much as possible. However, the one detail that I’m adamant about is using beef tallow for frying and using those pan drippings for the gravy. The tallow imparts a meaty quality that makes the gravy more savory. It’s served with pimento cheese mashed potatoes. The pimento cheese adds a little bit of acidity and flavor to the potato’s blank canvas, and it counterbalances the richness of the gravy nicely.

Choosing The Right Cut Of Meat

I don’t make chicken fried steak very often, not because I don’t like it but because I’m very particular about using the right cut of meat. Traditionally, it’s made with beef round steak. Since I cook with mostly wild game, I use venison instead, and unfortunately, there are only two on a deer.

The bottom round (or outside round, as I like to call it) is the largest muscle on the hindquarter. It’s not steak-worthy like the loin, but it isn’t nearly as tough as the brisket or shoulder. Luckily, it has a long grainline that you can use to your advantage with a little knife manipulation to make the pieces of meat more tender. I like to cut it into ½” – 1” strips against the grain at a 45-degree angle. Cutting perpendicular to the grainline shortens the connective tissue, making it more tender. The diagonal angle of the blade will make the strips a little bit wider than if you just cut it straight down. This is the same way sushi chefs cut fish for sashimi.

While this recipe is relatively simple to make, it can be tricky. Unless you grew up with southern cooking, there are a few things you should know. Robb Walsh, author of The Texas Cowboy Cookbook, warns of the three biggest mistakes: “under-seasoning the batter, getting overzealous with a tenderizing mallet, and overheating the oil.” If you use my recipe, you won’t have to worry about a bland crust, but you should heed his advice on the latter two points.

One last thing – make sure to cook it in a cast iron skillet! I hear it makes it taste better 🙂

Chicken Fried Venison Steak with Peppercorn Gravy

Recipe by Danielle Prewett

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 ½ – 2 pounds venison or beef bottom round roast (see note)
3 eggs
⅓ cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Beef tallow for frying
Peppercorn Gravy
3 tablespoons beef tallow (pan drippings)
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat an oven to 225 ℉.
If using venison, trim all the silverskin from the bottom round roast. Slice it against the grain at a 45-degree angle, about ½” – 1” thick. (See image above for reference.) Depending on the size of the meat you’re using, you’ll get a few large steaks, but you’ll also get a lot of smaller pieces that are great as steak fingers. Use a meat mallet to gently pound each piece until they’re about ¼” thick.
Beat the eggs and buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Toss the flour, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper together and spread across a large plate or sheet tray. Dredge each cutlet in the flour mixture, then dip it in egg and back into the flour. If you like an extra craggy crust, you can repeat this process a second time. (If you double dip, you might use the flour up fast and need to double the batch!) Set aside until ready to fry.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat and add enough beef tallow so that when it melts, it fills it about ¼” – ½” deep. When the oil is hot, fry the cutlets, leaving room in between, and work in batches as needed. Fry for 2-3 minutes, flip, and fry on the opposite side for a few more minutes or until golden brown. Set aside on a sheet tray lined with a baking grid and transfer to the oven to keep warm while you make the gravy.
Make the Peppercorn Gravy. Pour out all but 3 tablespoons of the pan drippings. Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle in the flour while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Allow the flour to toast to a light brown color. Then, slowly pour in the milk a little at a time. Continue whisking to combine, adding a little more milk at a time to thin the gravy and keep it smooth. Remove from heat and add the garlic, black pepper, and salt to taste.
Serve the gravy hot on top of fried venison and your choice of sides.

Notes

The bottom round is the largest muscle on the hindquarter, and it’s found on the outward-facing side of the leg. Although this recipe is meant to use a tougher cut, you can substitute with the inside round or even backstrap.