Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Cara: Snow, Craziness and Chicken Fried Steak
Posted by
Cara
I know Jenn ranted yesterday. And two rants in a row...may be too much ranting. But I can't help it.
Snow. I'm over it. It's would have been fine, it was the weekend. No place we HAD to be. Games got canceled...no big deal. Bunco got canceled...wouldn't have been a big deal but since I got stuck home with the boy sleepover when it was supposed to be Dad's gig cause I was supposed to be out drinking wine wearing my pink and black boa...and he suddenly was "off" duty...yeah. Big deal.
And the fact that apparently we live in a third world country and my Island is a freaking war zone now with every weather occurrence.... i.e. the main artery of the Island that stretched from one end to the other...got snow plows? Apparently not.
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (*don't particularly ever have thyme on hand; never mind fresh! I used poultry seasoning instead which has thyme as the first ingredient and it worked just fine!)
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. (*just buy it sliced!!!) Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, (*again dont have a needling device on hand just whacked it with meat mallet a couple times) until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. (*makes a total mess...but I have been told I'm a messy cook...but I clean up after myself not like some others...but I digress)
Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided (?) skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, (ooh pretty!!)add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.
Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme (cue poultry seasoning!)and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.
Snow. I'm over it. It's would have been fine, it was the weekend. No place we HAD to be. Games got canceled...no big deal. Bunco got canceled...wouldn't have been a big deal but since I got stuck home with the boy sleepover when it was supposed to be Dad's gig cause I was supposed to be out drinking wine wearing my pink and black boa...and he suddenly was "off" duty...yeah. Big deal.
And the fact that apparently we live in a third world country and my Island is a freaking war zone now with every weather occurrence.... i.e. the main artery of the Island that stretched from one end to the other...got snow plows? Apparently not.
It snowed Friday people. It's Tuesday and some people still don't have school or haven't had their street plowed yet.
Some days I think the world is really ending and maybe those stupid Mayans just got the day wrong. I mean the Pope quit. He's even flying the coup during Lent. I'm sorry but what the hell? You're the Pope!!!! The last one stuck it out til the end. Isn't that what the Pope is supposed to do? He quits? What happened to finish what you started? When I tell my kids to finish and they can't quit are they gonna say well the Pope quit? Seriously.
And all this snow world ending nonsense has messed up my week's plan mojo with school being closed because it was raining here in Mayberry. I did my "Oh my God it's going to snow and I need to buy milk,eggs and bread!" run the day before the storm. I even went back out Friday morning pre-storm to stock up on junk for kids....figuring I would "real" food shop on Monday. Nope. World ending, school closed...and weather was crap and I am not going food shopping. Just had to make due with what I had in the freezer, which was not much. Which led me to Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy, never made that before. Hubby gets its from time to time when we stop in at our favorite Cracker Barrel on our way down south. Not the most figure friendly dish in the world, not to mention I made Pinterest home made bread to go along with it. I did leave out the mashed potatoes though since we had baked potatoes the night before. (can you say carb coma?) I think I am currently in one...another thing to rant about...with this dam weather these past few months all I have been doing is cooking. I need to go outside and grill some vegetables or something!!!!
So the ground hog says Spring will be here before we know it. I think he is dumb like the Mayans. Just sayin'.
Here's the recipe which of course I altered* from Food Network:
Ingredients
2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat (*Had very thin cut steaks from the butcher already in freezer; hence what was for dinner)2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (*don't particularly ever have thyme on hand; never mind fresh! I used poultry seasoning instead which has thyme as the first ingredient and it worked just fine!)
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. (*just buy it sliced!!!) Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, (*again dont have a needling device on hand just whacked it with meat mallet a couple times) until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. (*makes a total mess...but I have been told I'm a messy cook...but I clean up after myself not like some others...but I digress)
Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided (?) skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, (ooh pretty!!)add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.
Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme (cue poultry seasoning!)and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.
Gain 10 lbs. (*who said that????)
Jenn's two cents: I don't think the Pope is quitting. I think he has probably prayed a lot about his decison and I am sure it was not an easy one to make. Since no other Pope has resigned or retired in our lifetime, it is a bit shocking. The Pope, however, plays the biggest role in the catholic church - one that require mental alertness and physical strength. His statement seemed to indicate that he is concerned about both his physical & mental capacity to run the Church. I applaud him for making a truly difficult decision - that he must feel it is his own and the church's best interest and his stepping down will move the church and it's followers forward in a positve way. That it is so close to lent is truly a shame - but I am sure more will come out as to why he felt the need to step down.
The Chicken Fried Steak is a favorite of the men in this house too - maybe I will be nice and surprise them with it one day this week - looks good!
Cara's three cents: OK maybe quit was too strong a word (I'm mad about snow and carbs remember?) But why don't they choose a younger Pope that maybe be around for a few more years? And if he is seriously ill, then of course he should resign/retire....but then why not say that from the get go? With all the media coverage yesterday interviewing various clergy...it reminds me of celebrity surprises and all the hoopla that follows...maybe the media hype is what annoys me most. (surprise!) And the constant shock every day lately about this crazy thing or that horror story sometimes is too much.
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