PW's Chicken Fried Steak and Potatoes

Cube steak and me have not gotten along in the past. Not at all. It has been tough, ickey, and, well, ickey. Pioneer Woman has a way of turning almost anything into a delicious meal, however! She explains perfectly how to treat your meat, how to coat it, and how to cook it. This is definitely not a meal for the faint of heart, we were full for about 5 days after we ate this! I felt like a true country girl when I was preparing, frying, and chowing on this dish! Thanks PW!

PW’s Chicken Fried Steak
Printable Version

3 pounds Cube Steak (tenderized Round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
1-1/2 cup Whole Milk, Plus Up To 2 Cups For Gravy
2 whole Large Eggs
3 cups All-purpose Flour
Seasoned Salt
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
LOTS of Black Pepper. Lots.
Canola Oil, For Frying
Salt And Pepper, For Both Meat And Gravy

Steaks
Begin with an assembly line of dishes for the meat: milk mixed with egg in one; flour mixed with spices in one; meat in one; then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.
Work one piece of meat at a time. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then dip in the milk/egg mixture. Next, place the meat on the plate of seasoned flour. Turn to coat thoroughly. Place the meat back into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Place back in the flour and turn to coat.
(So: wet mixture/dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture.) Place breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with remaining meat.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it's sufficiently hot. Cook meat, three pieces at a time, until edges start to look golden brown; around 2 to 2 1/2 minutes each side.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm. Repeat until all meat is cooked.

Gravy
After all meat is fried, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup grease back to the pan. Allow grease to heat up.
Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix flour with grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Keep cooking until it reaches a deep golden brown color. If paste seems more oily than pasty, sprinkle in another tablespoon of flour and whisk.
Whisking constantly, pour in milk. Cook to thicken the gravy. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick. Add salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until gravy is smooth and thick. Be sure to taste to make sure gravy is sufficiently seasoned. Salt, Salt, SALT it up!

Serve meat next to a big side of mashed potatoes. Pour gravy over the whole shebang!

Recipe from Pioneer Woman