Chicken Fried Steak Dupree
Submitted by walkurja
Chicken fried steak Dupree pounds chuck steak thin, dredges in flour and saltine crumbs, then fries crisp and finishes with onion-cream gravy. Classic Southern comfort food cooked in cast iron.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minChicken fried steak is the Southern supper that turns a tough cut into something tender and golden. The Dupree version leans on saltine crumbs in the breading, which fries up shatter-crisp and stays that way under the gravy.
The pounding step is what separates a good chicken fried steak from a leathery one. Press the seasoned flour into both sides of the chuck steak with the edge of a heavy plate or a mallet, working it deep into the muscle fibers so the meat tenderizes and the flour sticks. The triple-coat (flour, egg-cream wash, saltine crumbs) creates the craggy crust everyone fights over.
The gravy is built right in the pan. After the steaks come out, sliced onions soften in the drippings, reserved flour goes in to scrape up every brown bit, and cream plus chicken broth bring it together. A dash of Worcestershire (and optional hot sauce) sharpens the finish.
Pro Tips
- Use a heavy cast iron skillet. The thermal mass keeps the oil temperature steady so the crust browns instead of soaks.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Two steaks at a time keep the oil hot and the crust crisp.
- Drain on brown paper bags or a wire rack, never paper towels, to keep the bottom from steaming and going soft.
- Stir the flour into the drippings for a full minute before adding liquid. Raw flour gravy tastes pasty.
Variations
- Swap saltines for crushed Ritz crackers for a buttery, slightly sweeter crust.
- Add a teaspoon of paprika and a pinch of cayenne to the flour dredge for a smoky, spicier version.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and biscuits to catch every drop of the cream gravy.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix ½ cup of the flour, the salt, and pepper together.
Pound the mixture into both sides of the meat with the edge of a heavy plate or mallet.
Cut the meat into serving pieces.
Beat eggs together with the cream.
Heat the oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over moderately high heat.
Reserve 3 tablespoons of the flour.
Dredge the steaks in the remainder of the flour, dip in the egg mixture, and then into the cracker crumbs.
Place the steaks in the hot oil and brown well.
Turn and brown other side.
Reduce heat to medium, cover the skillet, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the steaks are cooked through and tender.
Chicken fried steak should be well done, but not dry.
Remove the steaks from the skillet and drain on brown paper bags.
Keep warm.
Add the onion slices to the pan and sauté quickly.
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet and stir in the 3 tablespoons reserved flour.
Stir to incorporate any particles on the bottom of the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in the cream, then the chicken broth.
Season the gravy with Worcestershire.
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