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(( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??"
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NormM
Bugster2
Barbara101
Crybaby
UNCLE JIMMY
9 posters
Message [Page 12 of 20]
277 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:51 am
bethk
Admin
Our neighbors are headed up towards Atlanta and promise to bring me back some peaches. Peach salsa is definately on my "to-make" list!
Your dinner looks scrumptious, Norm! (Saw it FIRST on facebook....love knowing I won't miss a peek at your dinner table!)
Your dinner looks scrumptious, Norm! (Saw it FIRST on facebook....love knowing I won't miss a peek at your dinner table!)
278 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 2:18 pm
Bugster2
I am going to try and make chicken fried steak for the very first time. I picked a bad day to do it though. Horrible humidity and 90 degree heat. The air is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Any advice on making it?
Any advice on making it?
279 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 3:46 pm
Niagara Visitor
What's a chicken fried steak?
P.S. Never mind, Mr. Google had the answer very quickly! LOL
P.S. Never mind, Mr. Google had the answer very quickly! LOL
280 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 3:57 pm
UNCLE JIMMY
Bugster2 wrote:I am going to try and make chicken fried steak for the very first time. I picked a bad day to do it though. Horrible humidity and 90 degree heat. The air is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Any advice on making it?
We have been making what they call Chicken Fried Steak ....for years.
Mom used to make it, and we do now. She called it "Italian Breaded Steak"
She seasoned it Italian Style, but you don't have to. It can be breaded with just salt and pepper as the seasoning.
Starting with the steak. It must be thin cut. I tenderize it with one of those hammers.
If the pieces are too large...they will cup up when frying, and when flipped to fry the other side, the crumbs will only fry crisp on the edges with wet in the center.
I cut them in pieces about 3"x3" or 2"x4" approx. I then season both sides with kosher salt.
I dredge them in flour seasoned with pepper....then in egg wash with a little milk. If Italian style, I add like one clove of garlic microplaned into the egg wash.
I used to mince garlic and add it to the bread crumbs, but that is risky to burn the garlic pieces when the steak fries, and it will be bitter tasting. That is why I flavor the egg wash.
Then... in seasoned Bread Crumbs and I add a handful of corn meal to kick up the crispy.
I fry them low heat ( I use an electric skillet for better control ) at about 300 - 325º uncovered..... turn when the first side is browned, but not burned.
I usually fry up quite a batch (Like 30 pieces ) especially when the kids come to eat. I get to fry two pans full with oil just about 1/4 inch high. I use regular crisco or wesson cooking oil. After the two batches, the pan crumbs will start to burn.
Burned crumbs / flour, is not good tasting. I will throw the oil out, or strain it in a fine mesh strainer to get those nasty burned crumbs out. Then add fresh oil, and cook the remaining batches.
I place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil, and then transfer to a wire cooling rack. I never place one on top the other, because I learned, they will steam and get the breading damp.
Hope some of these tips helps.
281 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 5:07 pm
Barbara101
Jimmy you forgot the white gravy on the side.or on top,and or mashed potatoes lol.
282 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 5:09 pm
Barbara101
Horrible humidity and 90 degree heat. The air is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
115` here. I am IN the house all nice and cool.
115` here. I am IN the house all nice and cool.
283 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 5:14 pm
bethk
Admin
Bugster2 wrote:I am going to try and make chicken fried steak for the very first time. I picked a bad day to do it though. Horrible humidity and 90 degree heat. The air is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Any advice on making it?
First of all, you have to have mashed potatoes with it.....requirement! So you might as well get those made and be able to reheat.
I use cubed steak - even though the pieces look like a serving size, by the time you get done prepping them for cooking they will be HUGE so cut them in half. A serving can always be 2 pieces, but at least it won't be too large to deal with.
I season with s&p or a good steak seasoning (like Montreal if that's something you normally use & like), then a seasoned flour dredge, kind of pushing the flour into the meat. Then into a buttermilk/srirracha mixture and finally, back into the seasoned flour. I put the coated pieces on a plate and let them sit for about 5 minutes for the buttermilk to absorb into the flour so it doesn't fall off the meat as it's cooking.
Then into a med-high cast iron skillet with enough oil to come up to the edges of the meat, maybe 1/4" in the pan. Let the meat brown and turn once, don't mess around with the steaks or the breading will loosen and start falling off.
Time for gravy! I usually add some bacon grease from my freezer supply. Then stir in some of the leftover seasoned flour you used for dredging. When it's all bubbly and no longer in clumps, time to add the milk. Stir, stir, stir, check for seasoning and add LOTS of fresh ground black pepper....finish with half & half at the end.
Good luck!
284 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 5:28 pm
bethk
Admin
Barbara101 wrote:Jimmy you forgot the white gravy on the side.or on top,and or mashed potatoes lol.
Hahahahahaha! Barb, you were posting as I was typing so you got in first with the mashed potato suggestion. After I posted I scrolled up and saw your post and I burst out laughing. We, obviously, have our priorities straight! LOL
((yup - mashed potatoes and milk (white) gravy))
285 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 5:46 pm
Niagara Visitor
My first thought was chicken, as in a cutlet, and I wondered why it would be called a "steak".
286 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 5:52 pm
UNCLE JIMMY
Barbara101 wrote:Jimmy you forgot the white gravy on the side.or on top,and or mashed potatoes lol.
Yep!.... forgot. Usually with non- italian seasoning, we eat them with mashed potatoes on the side, and gravy. The steak, we cut and dip in the gravy, or just use our fingers to munch them.
Italian style, we eat them with a side of spaghetti or a macaroni.
They are great kept in the fridge in a brown paper bag, and then we grab one now and then, and with a little salt, we eat them with our fingers as snacks. .
288 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 6:27 pm
bethk
Admin
We're going to meet Lyn & Bill at one of the country club restaurants. Bill wants fried chicken and neither Lyn nor I is willing to make it in this heat!
Barb - do you have cubed avacado in your salad? Your baby tomatoes look fresh and wonderful.
Barb - do you have cubed avacado in your salad? Your baby tomatoes look fresh and wonderful.
289 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 6:32 pm
Barbara101
No.. it is cucumber..
290 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 6:57 pm
Niagara Visitor
O.K. another question.................. is white gravy what I would call a bechamel sauce?
292 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 8:54 pm
bethk
Admin
Niagara Visitor wrote:O.K. another question.................. is white gravy what I would call a bechamel sauce?
Not exactly....it's commonly made when making sausage & gravy, as well as chicken fried steak.
One of the key elements (IMO) is the pork fat used for flavoring the gravy. Either the sausage fat or bacon fat will do. And it's made the same as you would another gravy EXCEPT instead of using a beef or chicken stock you use milk and/or some half & half. Another key component is a lot of cracked black pepper.
Many of the elements are the same as a bechamel sauce but instead of using butter you would use oil & pork fat and make a light roux.
293 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Sun Jul 19, 2015 11:22 pm
Bugster2
I just got on the computer and I will take your advice for next time. I grabbed a Bobby Flay recipe but we were not impressed. I left out the cayenne because of my gut and it probably needed it. The steak wasn't bad but the gravy was too bland. He just used S&P and I thought that might be bland, I gave it a try and I was right. No flavor. Next time I will use seasoned flour like I do for my fried chicken. Still can't have any heat though.
294 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:31 am
bethk
Admin
Bugster2 wrote:I just got on the computer and I will take your advice for next time. I grabbed a Bobby Flay recipe but we were not impressed. I left out the cayenne because of my gut and it probably needed it. The steak wasn't bad but the gravy was too bland. He just used S&P and I thought that might be bland, I gave it a try and I was right. No flavor. Next time I will use seasoned flour like I do for my fried chicken. Still can't have any heat though.
I'm sorry your meal didn't have the flavor you were looking for. Maybe next time you might go through your spice cabinet and pick some herbs & spices that compliment beef (ie: thyme, marjoram, etc.) to get a bit more of a flavor. The cubed beef is usually something like top round that doesn't have much fat and not much flavor on it's own. The fact you cannot tolerate any spice also adds another dilema to the dish.
Oh, and just a note....re: the sirracha/buttermilk I use ~ even though sirracha is VERY spicy on it's own, when combined with the buttermilk, the buttermilk counteracts the heat of the chilies and you are left with the flavor of the spicey peppers without the heat. I use enough to turn my buttermilk 'pink' but I'm sure you could add just a bit and maybe get some good flavor without it bothering your digestive system. Just a thought.
295 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Mon Jul 20, 2015 1:11 pm
Bugster2
I have never tried sirracha. I think I will give it a try.
296 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Mon Jul 20, 2015 1:41 pm
bethk
Admin
just keep in mind, Bugs, that it is VERY spicy and hot on it's own....but it's my experience that the dairy/acid in buttermilk tames the heat. It might not work that way for you.
(disclaimer so I don't steer Bugs wrong!)
(disclaimer so I don't steer Bugs wrong!)
297 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Mon Jul 20, 2015 4:13 pm
UNCLE JIMMY
bethk wrote:just keep in mind, Bugs, that it is VERY spicy and hot on it's own....but it's my experience that the dairy/acid in buttermilk tames the heat. It might not work that way for you.
(disclaimer so I don't steer Bugs wrong!)
Beth is 100% right.
It really depends how you use it. I had never seen or heard of it until I attracted to join cooking forums. Then one day, My daughter bought one for me, in the neat squirt bottle. I made an omlet, and splattered it on 1/2 of the omlet, and whew!!!! It is hot by itself. Definetely a nose dripper. Then, I used it to spike up some chilli that I made with beans and beef....and Only in my bowl, I hit it with like a 1/2 tsp. of the sirracha coocaracha sauce, and it was perfect heat. Tina even tasted some of mine, and said...Ooooo, I could take this. It's heat, but then, it disappears from singing really quick.
You have to be experimental in using it. Just a little at the time.
298 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Mon Jul 20, 2015 4:35 pm
UNCLE JIMMY
t's a Monday Blah! Day!.... Don't feel like cooking. It's too hot outside ( 85º ) and 60% humidity....yuck!
I guess lunchmeats to make a sandwich with tomatoes and cheese. Tina bought ham and roast beef sliced thinly. Still thinking! Now Tina says she's cold! She's outside to warm up. To me....74º inside is not cold! LOL....
I guess lunchmeats to make a sandwich with tomatoes and cheese. Tina bought ham and roast beef sliced thinly. Still thinking! Now Tina says she's cold! She's outside to warm up. To me....74º inside is not cold! LOL....
299 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Mon Jul 20, 2015 4:44 pm
bethk
Admin
I just got done lightly frying up some onions & mushrooms to put on top of my burger when it comes off the grill tonight. He's having his with bacon and cheese on a bun. Using the leftover grilled corn for some succotash and I'll microwave some yukons to thickly slice and crisp up in butter/evoo because they were so good last week.
300 Re: (( July 2015 )) "What's For Dinner??" Mon Jul 20, 2015 6:08 pm
UNCLE JIMMY
bethk wrote:I just got done lightly frying up some onions & mushrooms to put on top of my burger when it comes off the grill tonight. He's having his with bacon and cheese on a bun. Using the leftover grilled corn for some succotash and I'll microwave some yukons to thickly slice and crisp up in butter/evoo because they were so good last week.
The Mushies and onions sound good on those burgers Beth.
You mentioned corn. You know what I like, but havn't had in years?
Mexican Style Corn. I think Delmonte used to can it. I see there are those new steam fresh corn and veggies which are really good.
Havn't had succotash in ages too! I do remember Daffy Duck Cartoons, when Daffy would say, (with a lisp) ... "Sufferin Succotash" with a shower of spit splash as he said it! I love a good succotash with lima's, and minced red peppers. Ummmm!!!
Message [Page 12 of 20]
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