Chicken Fried Steak

One of the staples of the Southern U.S. cuisine called chicken fried steak contains no chicken at all, contrary to what one might think upon seeing the name of the dish. It consists of a thin, breaded, and fried cut of beef that is traditionally served with a side of mashed potatoes and drizzled with cream gravy.

The dish got its name due to the fact that the method of preparation is very similar to that of fried chicken. Originally, the first recipes for batter-fried steaks had appeared in Southern cookbooks during the early 1800s. In the old days, the cut of beef was inexpensive and tough, usually round steak, but today many restaurants use more expensive cuts such as tenderloin and rib-eye.

It is believed that the dish stems from German immigrants who brought an Austrian dish called Wiener schnitzel to Texas, a meal that is quite similar to chicken fried steak. What started as making use of meat of questionable quality evolved into a unique Texas delicacy, a perfect combination of meat, grease, and batter.