The View From My Kitchen Window

Yesterday was golden. I was off from work so when I woke up and walked into the kitchen the sun was shining through the leaves of the maple, beech and sourwood trees that cover the hillside out my kitchen window. In years past we have had more red in the fall foliage, but this year has brought mostly gold. The windy days sadly tossed most of the leaves down before they could put on their annual color show. Days like this remind me to be thankful for the scraps of warm weather we have left. I fear this weekend might be the last of the Indian summer days that temper us into the much cooler days of fall.
Cooler nights have me in the mood for comfort food so I took my inspiration from TV....

While I was watching Food Network the other night I saw Bobby Flay challenge Paula Deen to a Country Fried Steak throw down. Watching this had me craving this southern comfort food with a vengeance. I usually make country style steak slow simmered several hours in a brown gravy with onions to make it fork tender, but I grew up on my Daddy's more traditional country fried steak and gravy. So yesterday I stopped at the Ingles and picked up a package of cubed round steaks for supper. I experimented a bit as I went along but over all I was very pleased with this Friday night supper. I'm not sure what the difference is in country style steak or chicken fried steak but I have decided I like the sound chicken fried steak best. Maybe I have listened to too much Zac Brown.
Oh, oh, oh, I almost forgot to tell you........, most things work out in the end, Paula won the throw down. As much as I love Bobby, ain't no way a Yankee can beat a Georgia girl in a country fried steak competition!!

Chicken Fried Steak with White Thyme Gravy*
Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
Corn Custard
Cream Potatoes
Biscuits

Chicken Fried Steak with White Thyme Gravy

3 - cubed round steaks
seasoned salt ( I like Morton's Nature's Seasons better than Lawry's)
1-1/2 all purpose flour
1 tsp. pepper

1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs - beaten

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 Tbsp. instant chicken bouillon
2 cups whole milk or half and half (or more, if needed)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder

Bring steaks out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking. Place a cooking rack on a 1/2 sheet pan and set aside for steaks.
Measure flour and pepper into a glass pie pan. Stir to combine.
Combine 1 cup buttermilk and two eggs in a second glass pie pan.
Sprinkle steaks on both sides with season salt.
Dredge in peppered flour and then dip in the buttermilk and egg mixture and back in the peppered flour.
Place on the rack that your have prepared and continue until all steaks are well coated.

In a large skillet heat 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil over medium high heat until the handle of a wooden spoon sizzles when placed in oil. Add steaks to hot oil and reduce temp to medium. Brown steaks on both sides, 4-5 minutes per side and return to cooling rack. Place in warm oven while you make gravy.

Pour away all but 4 Tbsp. of the cooking oil, being sure to keep the browned flour bits in the bottom of the skillet.
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons flour (use the left-over flour from dredging process) and 2 Tbsp. instant chicken bouillon in the hot oil. Stir with a wooden spoon, quickly, to cook the flour a bit. Once you have a smooth paste gradually stir in 2 cups milk, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add dried thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. Lower heat, and the gravy will thicken. Continue cooking and stirring a few minutes until gravy reaches desired thickness. Check seasonings and add more salt and pepper according to your taste.

So, Until Tomorrow.................,
S~~~