Country Fried Steak with Mushroom Gravy

We are daring to take Chicken Fried Steak to another level. This particular dish dates back to the 1900's and is claimed by most southerners as a staple comfort food. Like it's counter part from Austria (wiener schnitzel) the choice for meat is the beef round, cube steak to be exact. While I prefer chuck cube steak it is not always available in the meat department. What is available is cube steak from the round.
The beef round is found at the back end of the cattle from the top of the hind quarter to the shank portion of the leg. The number of 3 ounce servings of beef is about 2 1/2 - 3 per pound. The price of the beef averages $4.99 per pound. Best thing to do is get this when it goes on sale or buy a family pack. You can freeze these but I do not recommend freezing past two weeks. My recipe is geared toward two people. You can double the ingredients for feeding more.

• 2 - 3cube steaks
• 1/2 box porcini mushrooms - sliced
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup half and half or cream
• 1/3 cup flour for dredging
• 2 tbsp. flour for the roux
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tbsp.canola oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 2 - 3 good pinches cayenne pepper
• freeze dried chives - optional

1. Start out by putting together your dredging station: combine the flour and all of the spices in a dish. Mix well to combine.
2. Whisk the milk and the egg together in another dish.
3. Clean and slice your mushrooms.
4. Lightly salt and pepper each side of the cube steak to taste.
5. Heat a skillet (cast iron would work very well) over medium heat. Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter. When the pan is hot add the mushrooms, cooking and stirring until golden in color. Remove to a waiting bowl.
6. Dredge the steak in the flour, then in the egg, back in the flour and place on a clean plate.
7. Get the skillet hot over medium high heat and add the canola oil to the pan.
8. When the pan is hot the heat should be turned down to about medium. Place the steaks in the pan and fry until golden brown on each side. Remove and place on a clean plate.
9. Add extra oil or butter if necessary (you don't want to much though). Put the flour in the pan and keep whisking until the flour is cooked down and that you have scrapped up all of the good bits.. You are making a roux, so it will take time.
10. Once the raw flour taste is cooked out, slowly whisk in the half and half or cream until you have everything well incorporated.
11. Add the mushrooms back to the pan and cook on low for a couple of minutes to let the flavor from the mushrooms get absorbed into the sauce. 
12. At this point and this is optional add in some freeze dried chives for flavor and color.
13. Taste the gravy and adjust any seasoning. You can add the steaks back in the pan or pour the sauce over them.

As you can see I had some corn on the cob and I made a garlic rubbed toast from baguette bread.

NOTE: keep the steaks warm under a heat lamp or in a low, low oven - 200° F if you are doing these in batches. Also don't over crowd the pan otherwise the meat will not brown properly.

I loved the addition of the mushrooms and a little beef broth to ramp up the flavor of the gravy.