tomahawk Arsip - islandwalkbarandgrill.com

The Best Chicken Fried Steak – This chicken fried steak recipe is one I received from a co-worker about 5 years ago. A Southern favorite, these crispy, breaded, tenderized cube steaks drenched in creamy gravy can be served for breakfast or dinner. It’s by far the best chicken fried steak I’ve ever had. I’ve made this numerous times for my picky son and my Southern-raised better half, as well as for other family and friends and each time, I get nothing but rave reviews.

Looking for the best chicken-fried steak of all time? Well, your search ends here! This top-rated recipe results in a tender, juicy steak with an irresistibly crispy coating. Learn how to make the greatest chicken-fried steak of your life — and get smart storage and serving tips.

What Is Chicken-Fried Steak?

The aptly named chicken-fried steak is a dish that consists of steak fried in the same manner as fried chicken. The meat is coated with a seasoned flour mixture, then deep-fried to crispy perfection. A Southern favorite, chicken-fried steak is actually very similar to Wiener schnitzel (an iconic Austrian dish of breaded and fried veal).

Chicken-Fried Steak vs. Country-Fried Steak

Chicken-fried steak and country-fried steak are very similar Southern dishes that are often confused with one another. Many people use the terms interchangeably, but they are slightly different: Chicken-fried steak is often topped with a cream gravy, while country-fried steak is typically served with brown gravy and onions. Also, chicken-fried steak is usually slightly crispier than its country-fried counterpart.

Best Cut of Beef for Chicken-Fried Steak

The best cut of beef for chicken-fried steak is cube steak, or another steak variety that has already been tenderized. This recipe, like most others you’ll find on the internet, calls for cube steak.

How to Make Chicken-Fried Steak

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s what you can expect when you make the best chicken-fried steak ever:

Pound the Meat

Using a meat mallet, pound the steak until it’s about ¼-inch thick.

Make the Coating

Place two cups of flour in a shallow bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of the pepper, and ¾-teaspoon of the salt. Add buttermilk, hot sauce, egg, and garlic to the second bowl. Stir to combine.

Dredge and Fry

Heat vegetable shortening oil in a deep cast-iron skillet to 325 degrees F. While the shortening is heating, dredge a steak in flour and shake off the excess. Dip the entire flour-covered steak in the buttermilk mixture, then dredge it again in flour. Repeat with the remaining steaks. Fry steaks until evenly golden brown. Remove steaks and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Make the Gravy

Drain the fat from the skillet, reserving ¼ cup and as much of the solid remnants as you can. Add the reserved fat and heat the skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk in the remaining flour. Add the milk and bring the gravy to a simmer. Cook until thick and season to taste. Serve over finished chicken-fried steaks.

What to Serve With Chicken-Fried Steak

Looking for delicious side dish inspiration? Pair your chicken-fried steak with one of these classic Southern sides:

Kickin’ Collard Greens
Okra and Tomatoes
Slow Cooker Spicy Black-Eyed Peas
Southern Green Beans
Baked Cream Corn

Plus, explore our entire collection of Southern Side Dishes.

How to Store Chicken-Fried Steak

Store leftover chicken-fried steak in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through.

Can You Freeze Chicken-Fried Steak?

Yes, you can! Allow the steaks to cool completely, then wrap them individually in one layer of storage wrap followed by one layer of foil. Place them in a freezer-bag or airtight container, label with the date, and freeze for up to four months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven until warmed through.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“This was absolutely amazing,” raves alrondm. “Made this for my roomies and they all raved. Even the boy from the South. Couldn’t think of any major changes needed. Though I did find that using some buttermilk in the gravy gave it a better flavor in the end.”

“I am always looking for new chicken-fried steak recipes, but often find that the batter doesn’t end up with enough crunch — which is what I absolutely love,” says colinger. “This recipe did not disappoint. I used thinly cut round steak (my personal preference) and they turned out great!”

“This recipe is the best chicken-fried steak I have ever used,” according to Renee Ann Galvan. “It’s Southern quality, has that nice crunch, and was sooo delicious. I wanted to eat another streak. I didn’t, but I really wanted to! I would like to make one suggestion: Salt and pepper the steaks before you dredge in the flour and batter. Absolutely delicious!”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Ingredients

4 (1/2 pound) beef cube steaks
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon black pepper
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable shortening for frying
4 cups milk
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place steaks between 2 layers of plastic and pound to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
Place 2 cups flour in a shallow bowl.
Stir together baking powder, baking soda 1 teaspoon pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in second shallow bowl. Add buttermilk, Tabasco sauce, egg, and garlic; stir to combine.
Heat shortening in a deep cast-iron skillet to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place a wire rack over a sheet of parchment paper.
While the shortening is heating, dredge a steak in flour to coat; shake off excess. Dip into buttermilk batter; lift up so excess batter drips back into the bowl. Press in flour again to coat both sides completely. Place breaded steak on the wire rack and repeat to bread remaining steaks.
Fry steaks, in batches if necessary, until evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steaks to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Cover with foil to keep warm while you make the gravy.
Drain fat from the skillet, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid and as much of the solid remnants as possible.
Return the skillet to medium-low heat; add the reserved oil. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup flour into the oil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release solids into the gravy.
Stir in milk, increase the heat to medium, and bring the gravy to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until thick, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
Transfer steaks to a platter and pour gravy over top.

What is a Tomahawk Steak?

How to Cook a Perfect Tomahawk Steak – This glorious cut of meat is actually a large ribeye steak that is specifically cut with about 8-12 inches of the rib bone left on it.

The bone is “Frenched”, a culinary term that means it is trimmed of fat and meat. The Tomahawk steak is meant to look like the handle of an ax. It’s the same technique that is used on a rack of lamb.

The bone is intended to give it the “wow” factor however it also helps insulate the tender meat while it cooks.

The Tomahawk steak is extremely tender and buttery, with beautiful marbling. It’s also relatively simple to make!

Because of its size and 2″ thickness this steak requires a different cooking method than a regular sized steak, which usually just gets a quick sear on the grill.

We chose the indirect “reverse sear” method for our Tomahawks and we’ll show you how to do it, with step-by-step directions, so you will get it just right every time!

Preparing Ribeye Steaks for Reverse Sear

There are 2 steps to preparing the steak, which need to be done ahead of time, so be sure to allow time for this important step.

Step One – Salting and Dry Brining

The first step to prepping this big steak is salting it liberally with kosher salt.
Allow the salt to sit on the steak for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator uncovered. Place the steak on a rack on top of a baking sheet for best results.

We have found that salting (dry brining) improves the texture and flavor of nearly every type of red meat, not just steak. Why? Its science at work. When the salt is applied to the uncooked meat the juices inside the meat are drawn to the surface. The salt then dissolves into that liquid, forming a kind of brine that is then slowly reabsorbed into the meat.

The end result is an incredibly tender, moist, buttery steak loaded with flavor. This method works well on pork chops too.

Step Two – The Seasoning Rub

Once the steak is done with the 12-24 hour salt brine take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature
Prepare the rub mixture which is a thick paste of olive oil, paprika, black pepper, and crushed garlic
Coat the entire steak and the bone area with the rub, return to the rack, and let it sit for about 15 minutes
Preheat the oven to 200˚F

How to Cook a Tomahawk Ribeye Steak:

Because of the size of this steak the reverse sear method is the perfect way to cook it.

Reverse searing involves slow roasting the meat in a low temperature oven, to bring it to the desired internal temperature, and then finishing it with a quick sear on the grill to create a delicious crust and lock in the flavor.

Step-by-step for Reverse Searing Meat in the Oven:

Place spice rubbed steak in a 200˚F oven, on a rack, over a baking sheet to catch any juices
Start preheating the grill to medium-high while the steak is in the oven
Check the steak after about 30 minutes, but it will likely take closer to 40 minutes to cook
We highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer to check internal temperature
Cook until the internal temperature reaches preferred doneness:
Rare = 120˚F which is a cool bright red center and pinkish toward the outside
Medium Rare = 125˚F which is a warm red center but still very pink and slightly brown toward the outside
Medium = 130˚F which is a warm light pink center with outer portion brown
Remove steak from the oven and move it directly to the grill
Sear for 2-3 minutes on each side to lock in flavor and develop a crust
Let steak rest for about 5-minutes uncovered before slicing. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (also known as “carryover cooking”)

How long should you let steak rest?

Resting steak is an important step because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface.

If you immediately slice into it after cooking, all of those flavorful, amazing juices will end up on the plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful when serving.

How many servings are in a Tomahawk Steak?

The steak in our photos weighed in at 2.8 pounds (45 ounces). Once we cut the steak away from the bone we had about 32 ounces of meat. This easily served four people (plus the bone for the pup!)

How to serve this steak:

Because the giant bone makes the Tomahawk larger than life you should definitely include it in the presentation. It’s the bow tie on the tuxedo.

First cut the steak away from the bone
Then slice the meat, against the grain, into slices
Arrange the meat back around the bone so it appears to still be on the bone and serve on a large platter

Great sides to serve with steak

A great steak needs amazing side dishes to go along with it and here are a few of our favorites:

Since the grill is already hot try our easy Grilled Caesar Salad or we served it with our Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Dill Aioli
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Sweet Chili Sauce is always a perfect match
Our nice light summer Strawberry Spinach Salad pairs well

Your Sommelier Wine Pairings:

It only makes sense that the King of Steaks should only be paired with wine royalty!

When pairing wines with this delicious masterpiece you should look no further than a rich robust full bodied Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

These beautiful Cabernet’s make a wonderful pairing for this tender, buttery, steak lovers dream dinner.

The Bordeaux region of France also produces some beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blends that make an equally stunning partner for our Tomahawk master.