Recipe for week #2

This is getting posted a week late but here ya go...

I felt so successful with my last recipe from The Pioneer Woman 's cookbook that I jumped right in with this next one.  I decided to make Chicken Fried Steak.  I can't link you to the recipe because it's not on her blog and I'm too lazy to type out the recipe from her cookbook for you at this particular moment.  But hey ~ go buy her cookbook and you'll be set!

Now, let me start by saying that I have NEVER eaten, tasted or put to my lips, chicken fried steak.  It is something my mom never cooked and I've never ordered it at a restaurant.  I've never even been to Cracker Barrel for heaven's sake!  But the pictures in her cookbook looked delicious and Brent was certainly up for it.  After all, he did serve his mission in Atlanta, Georgia so he has eaten more than a few chicken fried steaks in his two year stay there.  And he liked it!  The mission AND the chicken fried steak : )

The process wasn't that bad.  A little dipping and dreadging, dipping and dreadging.  Then you fry it up in a pan!  (oh wait...isn't that a jingle from a commercial back in the 70's about bringin' home the bacon??)

Ok.  Sorry.  I'm getting off track...

After setting the steaks aside you whip up some pan gravy from the brown bits left in the fry pan.  I was a bit discouraged at this point because I realized my heat was too high and my gravy was burning a bit.  But Brent kept cheering me on.  He poured in the milk and I whisked.  It was very simple but I think I had my mind set on wanting it to turn out like the picture in Ree's cookbook and that wasn't the case.

The verdict???
Brent and my boys cleaned their plates and then some.  I couldn't believe Cooper asked for seconds and thirds.  He is my picky one for sure.  Maddison and I on the other hand decided that chicken fried steak was not for our delicate palates and that it must be a boy thing.

I asked Brent to be honest as I needed to write a review for this post.  He said he really enjoyed it.  The steak was tender and tasted like he remembered it down in the South.  He did say the gravy was a bit burned but not un-edible.  So a little adjustment on the heat and it would have been darn near perfect.

So fry up some chicken fried steak for the cowboys in your life...they'll love ya forever.

Oh yeah ~ and leave the windows open!!  It smelled like fried food for a good 24 hours.  Whoo-ee!!

*photo found here