Country-Fried Steak vs. Chicken-Fried Steak (best, pepper, pork, sauce)

[mainebrokerman]

chicken fried steak,,,is a cube steak , soaked in milk/white gravy flour tye coating and fried

quite the southern dish,,,,,a customer asked me this ,,,years ago - she told me what it was she was from the south

country fried steak,,,,

I think this is any steak smothered in white gravy,,,

both terms might be interchangeable,,

like thaw and unthaw

[Threerun]

We call pounded, floured and fried meat 'schnitzels'. Anything else is just pan fried or blackened.

[SATX56]

I think around here either cooking method could be described as country fried or chicken fried. Though the deep fry method is likely used more in restaurants. There's no differentiating between the two.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Around here, a chicken-fried steak is usually deep-fried.

The homemade version, cube steak dipped in a beaten egg and then coated in bread crumbs and pan-fried, is equally delicious.

I think the reason restaurants are more likely to deep fry is because it's faster and it makes the coating puff up more, meaning that a small piece of steak looks a lot bigger. Same reason that battered chicken is so common at the Chinese buffet.

[Dirt Grinder]

I didn't mention that "Chicken-fried" and "Country-fried" are both breaded/battered around here (I figured that was obvious). I say breaded/battered because some restaurants bread them and some batter them.

So, I guess the variations become...

Breaded and deep-fried
Battered and deep-fried
Breaded and pan-fried
Battered and pan-fried

The above without gravy
The above with brown gravy
The above with white gravy

[hellpaso]

What I have learned over the years--

1--Chicken-fried is breaded/fried (pan or deep fried), & served with white gravy. It is one of the ubiquitous Texas dishes.

2--Country-fried is breaded/fried (pan or deep fried), & served with brown gravy. This is the version I saw most frequently in the South.

These are both traditionally made with cubed steaks. And Threerun--chicken-fried steak (in Texas, at least), is commonly believed to be a variety of schnitzel, brought by the huge German population that helped settle the Republic.

[Tia 914]

Originally Posted by hellpaso

What I have learned over the years--

1--Chicken-fried is breaded/fried (pan or deep fried), & served with white gravy. It is one of the ubiquitous Texas dishes.

2--Country-fried is breaded/fried (pan or deep fried), & served with brown gravy. This is the version I saw most frequently in the South.

These are both traditionally made with cubed steaks. And Threerun--chicken-fried steak (in Texas, at least), is commonly believed to be a variety of schnitzel, brought by the huge German population that helped settle the Republic.

Seriously, brown gravy in the south? Kinda surprised to hear that.

But all I know is I'm getting awfully hungry reading this thread!!

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by hellpaso

And Threerun--chicken-fried steak (in Texas, at least), is commonly believed to be a variety of schnitzel, brought by the huge German population that helped settle the Republic.

Yup- we are quite German, lol. I make some really awesome venison schnitzels with a jaeger sauce.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by hellpaso

...This is the version I saw most frequently in the South...

It depends on the restaurant and which part of "The South." Some areas only have white gravy with fried items.

[Ace_TX]

different names same stuff

I always have called it chicken fried steak

white gravy = "country gravy"