Daddy-O's Hot-Times Chicken-Fried Steak

Texas Home Cooking

Servings: 4

Bob "Daddy-O" Wade -- the Texas artist who made the famous dancing frogs for the roof of Carl's Corner Truck Stop on Interstate 35 -- inspired this CFS marinated in jalapeno juice.  Bob used to step lively around town until his wife Lisa tamed him and took him off to the mountains.  These days Daddy-O's hankering for hot times is often satisfied by a chicken-fried steak.

Ingredients

Cooking Method

Cut the steak into four equal portions. 

1. Pound the portions, if needed, until each is about ⅓ to ¼ inch thick. 

2. Arrange the steaks in a shallow non-reactive dish.

3. Pour 1 cup of the jalapeno liquid over them. 

4. Marinate the steaks in the jalapeno liquid for 2 hours. 

5. Most of the liquid will be absorbed into the steaks. 

6. Drain and blot lightly to remove excess moisture from the surface.

• Stir together the flour, salt and pepper in another dish. 

• Mix an additional 2 tablespoons jalapeno liquid with the egg in a shallow dish. 

1. Dredge the steak in the flour.

2. Then dip it in the egg.

3. Then back in the flour.

Put enough shortening into a cast iron skillet so that the steaks will be half-immersed in it during the frying.

Warm the fat over medium heat. 

1. Add the steaks carefully to the fat.

2. Cook until the meat is fully cooked through and the crumb coating is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes total. 

3. Drain the steaks, and transfer them to a platter.

4. Keep the steaks warm while you prepare Cream Gravy from the drippings.

• Place the steaks on separate plates cover both generously with the gravy. 

Cream Gravy Recipe:  (Gravy-making is an inexact science. Cream gravy is supposed to be thick, but if you think it's too thick, add more liquid until you're satisfied with it.)

1. After the Steaks are removed from the pan.

2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons or so of oil, keeping as many as possible of the browned bits in the pan.

3. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot.

4. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour (use the left-over flour from the chicken fried steak recipe (waste not -- want not) in the hot oil.

5. Stir with a wooden spoon, quickly, to brown the flour.

6. Gradually stir in ¾ cup milk and ¾ cup water, mixed together.

7. Stir constantly with the wooden spoon and mash out any lumps.

8. Lower heat, and gravy will begin to thicken.

9. Continue cooking and stirring a few minutes until gravy reaches desired thickness.

10. Check seasonings and add more salt and pepper according to your taste.

Serve immediately.