Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

LB: It me.

$23/hr to watch TV for two hours ain't a bad gig....

This Week's (Not As) Fancy Pants (As I'd Like) Meal: Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy.

It came out a little darker than I'd like, as did the cream gravy, which really came out as grey gravy. But it's tasty as heck, and still my fave Chicken Fried Steak recipe.

I think next time I'm going to make the cream gravy from complete scratch. No "crackling," no old oil. Just make it from scratch to get that white white gravy. This tastes great, dont' get me wrong. Just that grey food is not very appetizing looking.

# Chicken-Fried Steak and Cream Gravy

Threadgill's: The Cook Book
9.0 servings

48.0 ounces tenderized beef cutlets (room temperature)
2.0 whole eggs
2.0 cups milk (room temperature) [steak]
3.0 cups flour [steak]
2.0 tsp Threadgill's Meat Seasoning
vegetable oil (deep frying)
2.0 tbsp vegetable oil [gravy]
2.0 tbsp flour [gravy]
2.0 cups milk (room temperature) [gravy]
salt
pepper
Worstershire sauce
Tabasco sauce

Chicken Fried Steak
1 - Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl and set this egg wash aside.
2 - Combine the flour and meat seasoning in another bowl and set aside.
3 - Heat oil in a heavy 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat to 350°. Use a 550° thermometer to check temperature. The oil should pop loudly when a drop of egg wash is dropped in.
4 - Dip each of the first half of the cutlets in the egg wash mixture.
5 - Dredge them in the flour then dip them back into the egg wash.
6 - Very gently place them the hot oil. As you carry them one at a time from the egg wash to the skillet, hold a plate under them to catch the dripping egg wash. There'll be a regular explosion of noisy oil a-popping.
7 - Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until breading is set and golden brown.
8 - Gently turn them with a long-handled meat fork or long metal tongs. Be careful. Cook another 3 minutes.
9 - Carefully remove them from the skillet and drain on a platter lined with paper towels.
10 - Let oil reheat and repeat process for other 4 cutlets. Serve with Cream Gravy

Cream Gravy
11 - Pour off the cooking oil in your heavy skillet until you only have 2 to 3 tablespoons left. Leave the cracklings.
12 - With the heat on medium, sprinkle flour over the oil and whisk them together until you have a golden roux.
13 - Add the milk and stir the mixture until it is smooth and starts to thicken.
14 - Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco Sauce to taste.

The white bread certainly makes a good toast, but I think I prefer my struan bread.

This season of Doctor Who is knocking it out of the park! Sure, this episode's villains are just kinda goofy, but we all know The Rogue was the real meat of the story and that worked so so so well.