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Charlotte Cooks

Country Fried Steak with Mashed Potatoes

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Charlotte Cooks Recipes

Country Fried Steak 

Chef Jill Aker-Ray 

In our house, this was lovingly referred to as “Pound Steak” for its need to be pounded thin with a kitchen mallet to tenderize the otherwise tough round steak. These days, it’s easy to skip this step by purchasing cube steaks (which has already tenderized through a machine at the butcher). It was ALWAYS my requested birthday dinner choice and I loved having Tutu’s homemade mashed potatoes with gravy and green beans nuzzled in next to it. 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients 

  • 3 pounds Cube Steak (extra tenderized round steak)
  • 3 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • LOTS Of black pepper (LOTS)
  • Canola or vegetable oil, for frying plus 2-3 TBSP. butter for extra rich flavor for gravy.

 

Instructions 

Begin with an assembly line of breading dishes for the meat: 

  • Buttermilk mixed with egg in one;
  • flour mixed with spices in one;
  • meat in one;
  • one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.

Work one piece of meat at a time. 

Dry the meat thoroughly with paper towel. Season both sides with salt and pepper. 

Dredge in the flour and turn to coat. Shake excess. 

Place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Drain excess milk. 

Dredge back in the flour and turn to coat. 

Place breaded meat on sheet pan, repeat with remaining meat. 

Place breaded steaks into the refrigerator uncovered for at least 30 minutes (and up to 2 hours). 

Heat oil/butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it's sufficiently hot. It should sizzle the flour. 

Cook meat, three pieces at a time, until edges start to look golden brown; around 2 1/2 to 3  , making sure not to overcrowd the pan. 

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm. Repeat until all meat is cooked. 

Gravy: 

After all meat is fried, pour off the drippings into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup. 

Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. 

Add 1/4 cup grease back to the pan and allow to heat up. 

Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over the drippings. Using a whisk, mix flour with grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Keep cooking until it reaches a deep golden brown color. If paste seems more oily than pasty, sprinkle in another tablespoon of flour and whisk. 

Whisking constantly, pour in milk. Cook to thicken the gravy. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick. Add salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until gravy is smooth and thick. Be sure to taste to make sure gravy is sufficiently seasoned. 

Serve meat next to a big side of mashed potatoes. Pour gravy over both!

 Simply Perfect Mashed Potatoes 

Chef Jill Aker-Ray 

  • 6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup whole milk, half and half or evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp baking powder ( for added fluffiness)
  • Salt and white pepper to taste
    • Optional-garlic powder and chives

 Place the potatoes into a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low , cover and simmer until tender, 20 to 25 minutes or until fork tender. (Err on the side of cooking too long) 

Drain, and return potatoes to the pot. Turn heat to high and allow potatoes to dry for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. 

Mash the potatoes with a masher twice around the pot, then add the butter and milk. Continue to mash until smooth and fluffy. Using large heavy whisk, whisk in salt, pepper and baking powder (optional) , until evenly distributed, about 15 seconds. 

Cover with lid and they should retain heat until served!

 

Green Beans Amandine

Chef Jill Aker-Ray

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces green beans, preferably haricot verts, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons sliced or slivered almonds
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for seasoning
  • ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  •  

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a large bowl of ice water nearby. Drop the green beans into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain, and immediately immerse in the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain, and transfer to a towel to dry.
  • Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds to the dry skillet and toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the almonds from the pan and set aside.
  • Add the oil to the pan (turn down the heat down if necessary), then add the shallot and the salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the green beans and sauté, 2 to 4 more minutes, until the green beans are warmed through and tender. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish. Top with the almonds and serve.