Southern comfort food in Petaluma
Chicken Fried Steaks sit well towards the top of the comfort food pyramid, alongside other venerable, yet simple classics, such as Mac n’ Cheese and Spaghetti and Meatballs. However, it was not until a reader requested my recommendation that I realized I have never thought to order chicken fried steak here in Petaluma.
Come to think of it, I do not believe I have ever bothered to even check our local menus for this Southern staple, even though I regularly order up sibling dishes, such as biscuits and gravy and chicken and waffles.
This is even more peculiar considering chicken fried steak is one of the first things I look for on the menu when on the road. Unlike Anthony Bourdain, who can remember the first time he tasted the salty sweetness of an oyster, it is the rare food I remember trying for the first time, let alone the last.
However, it is obvious to me that at some point prior to adulthood, I must have been curious enough to give chicken fried steak a shot, loved it, and have been on the hunt for great ones ever since. Admittedly, much like my reason for ordering gnocchi or bread pudding whenever the opportunity presents itself, I rarely find one that meets my expectations, but when I do, it wipes away the bad memories of its predecessors.
A somewhat confusing name to those who have not partaken previously, chicken fried steak actually contains no chicken. Instead, it gets its name from the fact that the steak is prepared and cooked in a similar fashion to deep-fried chicken. It is unclear where and how chicken fried steak originated, but one can guess that if it is battered and deep-fried, it is likely a Southern thing.
Every restaurant in Oklahoma claims to make the best Chicken Fried Steak in the state, the country, and even the world, but with Texans stampeding into diners across the state for an astonishing 800,000 servings of chicken fried steak per day, clearly Texas is the epicenter for chicken fried steak. Although synonymous with Tex-Mex, smoked brisket, and chili con carne, anyone from the Lone Star state will tell you that nothing says Tejas quite like chicken fried steak.
Chicken fried steak likely traces its origins to the Germans, who immigrated en masse to Texas in the mid-1800’s to escape the revolutionary strife that was spreading across Europe. They likely brought with them their love of Wiener schnitzel, a tenderized veal or pork cutlet, which is breaded and then fried, much like today’s chicken fried steak.
The Italians and Scots were also immigrating to Texas around that same time, although in much smaller numbers, and craved their traditional dishes of Milanesa and Collops, respectively, which both also resemble chicken fried steak.
Historically, chicken fried steak starts with one of the lesser cuts of beef, often referred to as “cube steak” or “minute steak.” This tough meat is softened up, either through manual manipulation or by the use of an electric tenderizer, transforming it into something more palatable. It is called “cube steak” due to the cube shape of the indentations left by the process of tenderization, while those that call it “minute steak” are referring to the same steak, but highlighting the fact that due to its tenderized thinness, these steaks require minimal cook time.
Traditionally, chicken fried steak was topped with a pepper cream gravy, which was made with the drippings from the skillet in which the chicken fried steak was fried. The gravy added flavor, calories, and yes, nutrients, to what might otherwise have been a less than an ideal dish for the farmers and ranchers of the Texas and Oklahoma plains.
Additionally, because the steak often had little flavor, it was often grandma’s secret gravy recipe that carried the day.
Chicken Fried Steak has been so popular for so long in the great state of Texas that there are three distinct preparations, depending on the region. In the East, chicken fried steak is dredged in egg, then flour, and fried, like fried chicken. Central Texans supplant breadcrumbs for flour, similar to how Weiner schnitzel is prepared. In the western part of the state, the egg is left out, and is often referred to as “pan-fried steak.”
Just to add a bit of confusion regarding names, in some areas the pan-fried version is called chicken fried steak and the gravy descriptions range from cream gravy to sausage gravy to country gravy.
Most regions serve chicken fried steak for lunch or dinner, topped with some variation of a pepper cream gravy, with sides of mash potatoes, vegetables, and a biscuit. However, when you travel up to the West and Midwest, chicken fried steak is more commonly found on breakfast menus, served with eggs and potatoes, which is how you will find it served here in Petaluma.
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