Chicken Fried Steak

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk, at room temperature
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons meat seasoning
• 2 cups frying oil, preferably Canola
• 8 (6-ounce) tenderized beef cutlets at room temperature (or tenderized center cut boneless pork chop, or tenderized boneless chicken breasts)
• Mashed potatoes, recipe follows

Directions

Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl and set this egg wash aside. Combine the flour and meat seasoning in another bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a heavy 14-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees. Use a deep frying thermometer to check temperature. The oil should pop loudly when a drop of egg is dropped in. Dip each of the first 4 cutlets in the egg wash mixture. Dredge them in the flour, then dip them back into the egg wash, and very gently place them in the hot oil. As you carry them 1 at a time from the egg wash to the skillet, hold a plate under them to catch the dripping egg wash. There'll be a regular explosion of noisy oil popping. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until breading is set and golden brown. Gently turn them with a long handled meat fork or long metal tongs. Be careful. Cook another 3 minutes. Carefully remove them from the skillet and drain on a platter lined with paper towels. Let oil reheat and repeat process for other 4 cutlets.

• MASHED POTATOES
• Recipe courtesy Eddie Wilson of Threadgills
• 1 pound baking potatoes, like russets, peeled and cut in quarters
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 2 cups half-and-half or 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with butter, half-and-half, salt and pepper. Beat until smooth. Serve with cream, brown or giblet gravy.

Yield: 10 servings