Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken fried steak — a thin cutlet of beef round, tenderised by pounding, breaded in seasoned flour (the same technique as fried chicken), and pan-fried until golden, served smothered in cream gravy — is the dish that documents the German and Austrian immigrant thread in Texas food. The technique is Wiener Schnitzel: a thin cutlet, pounded, breaded, fried. The adaptation is Texan: beef instead of veal (beef was abundant and cheap in cattle country), fried-chicken-style breading (the Southern frying tradition applied to a Central European template), and cream gravy (the same white gravy as biscuits and gravy, made from the pan drippings). The dish was developed in the German-settled Hill Country of Central Texas in the late 19th century and spread to become a Texas-wide institution.

A thin piece of beef round (or cube steak — round that has been mechanically tenderised) dipped in seasoned flour, then egg wash, then seasoned flour again (the double-dredge), and pan-fried in a generous amount of oil or shortening until deeply golden and crispy on both sides. Served with a thick white cream gravy made from the pan drippings (flour stirred into the residual fat, then milk whisked in until thick, seasoned with black pepper). The steak should be tender enough to cut with a fork, the crust should crackle, and the gravy should be thick, peppery, and poured generously over everything.

Mashed potatoes, cream gravy over everything, green beans or fried okra, white bread or Texas toast. Iced tea. This is lunch-counter food, diner food, working-person's food.