Chicken Fried Steak and Onion Gravy
Recipe by Mandy Pagano
Recipe originally published on KetovangelistKitchen.com on 5/24/19. It has been lightly edited for re-publication.
The pinacle of old-fashioned cooking is probably Chicken Fried Steak. It's basically cubed steak (which is one of the cheapest cuts you can find) made into something quite grand by dredging the heck out of it, pan frying, and serving it smothered in salty, oniony milk gravy. It's country cooking at its finest, and even though the ingredients are inexpensive it feels super decadent to eat. Serve with a heaping side of cauli-mash and you have yourself quite the culinary treat!
Notes: Macros on anything fried are a little difficult because you typically need a lot of fat to fry in, but how much of that is actually absorbed and consumed is up in the air. As with all my other fried recipes, I guesstimated as best I could.
Now, when it comes to the gravy, I am of the opinion that onion gravy isn't good unless it's pretty dang salty. So, I included how much salt I personally use when I make my gravy (usually about 3/4 tsp), but feel free to start smaller, taste it, and only add more if you need it for your own palate. Don't forget lots of fresh cracked black pepper!
[tasty-recipe id="3123"]
Ingredients
For the steaks:
- 2 lb (32 oz/ 907 g) cubed steak, pounded thin (if not thin when purchased) and cut into 8-10 individual steaks
- 1/4 c (approx. 2 oz/ 57 g) coconut flour
- 3-4 eggs, large
- 3-4 tbsp. (1 1/2 fl oz-2 fl oz/ 44-59 ml) heavy cream
- 3 oz (85 g) pork rinds, crushed
- 2-3 tsp Seasoned Salt, divided
- bacon drippings or fat of choice for frying
For the gravy:
- 1/4 c (2 fl oz/ 59 ml) reserved bacon drippings or fat you used for frying the steaks
- 1 3/4 oz (50 g) onion, diced
- 1 c (8 fl oz/ 237 ml) beef broth
- 1 c (8 fl oz/ 237 ml) heavy cream
- 1/4-1/2 tsp glucomannan powder, as desired for consistency
- 1/2-3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
To make the steaks:
- Grab three shallow but wide bowls, or alternatively two plates and one bowl. In one dish, place the coconut flour, in the second bowl three eggs and three tbsp heavy cream, and the crushed pork rinds in the last container. Beat the eggs and cream together to make an egg wash.
- Evenly divide the seasoning between the coconut flour, the beaten egg wash, and the pork rinds. Mix the spices into each.
- Step one is to lightly roll each steak in the coconut flour. You want a good dusting on the meat, but not a thick layer, so be sure to tap off any excess.
- Step two is to dip each floured steak into the egg wash, being sure to coat completely, then letting any excess drip back down into the bowl.
- Step three is to roll or dredge the steak in the seasoned, crushed pork rinds to cover, again tapping off any excess.
- Repeat the triple breading steps with each steak, replenishing the egg wash with another egg and tbsp of cream if needed, and place aside on a plate until ready to fry.
- In a large pan, heat your chosen oil over medium-high. You want enough oil to have a good quarter inch of it on the bottom of the pan. Once it is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles when dropped into the pan, it is ready. Add the steaks, two or three at a time, to the pan to fry. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. When in doubt, fewer is almost always better.
- DO NOT WALK AWAY. Watch your steak! When the first side is golden brown, and a good crust is formed (it should look very close to a unified piece of breading), flip and continue cooking on the second side. This usually takes four to five minutes, but again, watch and don’t ever walk off when pan frying.
- When the second side is golden and your crust is well-formed, then remove from the oil to a paper towel lined plate. Let stand to cool, and repeat until all steaks are cooked. Let steaks rest while you make your gravy.
To make the gravy:
- Pour out all but 1/4 c of the pan drippings and keep the heat at medium-high.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to brown.
- Pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil, making sure to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan as it's cooking.
- In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk 1/4 tsp glucomannan powder into the heavy cream.
- Pour the heavy cream into the gravy mixture and bring it back up to a good simmer, stirring constantly. Let it bubble and simmer until it's at your desired consistency. If you prefer much thicker gravy, you may need to sprinkle in another 1/4 tsp glucomannan while stirring well.
- Once the gravy is at the desired thickness, add salt and pepper, to taste. I like salty gravy, so I added 3/4 tsp salt, but if you wanted to start with 1/4 tsp and taste and work up from there, that's fine.
- Remove the gravy from the heat, plate your steaks, and pour the gravy over the top. Serve hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe
- Calories: 554.3 cal
- Fat: 44 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Net Carbs [total carbs - (fiber + sugar alcohol)] : 2.7 g
- Protein: 33.5 g
