Tag: main course
Chicken Fried Steak
Chicken Fried Steak
Chicken fried steak is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast. I really only eat it maybe twice a year, since it’s about as unhealthy as it gets for you. With that being said, it is sure damn delicious. Some people make their chicken fried steak with country gravy; others use a sausage gravy. I prefer to use country gravy and not add to my future coronary.For choosing the right cut of beef to hammer down, I recommend using either sirloin tip or top round. Normally I’d buy a cube steak, which is a cheap cut of beef put through a tenderizing machine called a cuber, but they’re becoming harder to find these days. They key here is to hammer down the beef to a 1/4” thick or less. You want the beef to cook all the way through when frying it. If it was too thick, the breading would be cooked before the steak is done and the blood from the beef would make the crispy breading soggy.
Equipment
- food mallet
- whisk
Ingredients
- 8 oz sirloin tip or top round
- 1/2 cup flour divided
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- vegetable oil for frying
Country Gravy
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Using a food mallet, hammer down the beef to a 1/4” thick or less. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Season the flour with garlic powder and paprika. Dredge the beef in the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Dip the beef in the beaten egg on both sides.
- Dredge the beef back into the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat up an 1/8” of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the beef in the pan.
- Fry the beef for 4-5 minutes a side until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan.
- In the same pan over low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in 1 tbsp of flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the milk and whisk. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for no more than a minute until the gravy thickens.
- Ladle the gravy over the chicken fried steak. Serve with fried eggs.
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
This is a typical way you would find shrimp prepared off a food truck in Hawaii. Jumbo shrimp are seasoned with paprika and cayenne, then cooked in butter and olive oil. The last minute of cooking, more butter is added to the shrimp along with a ton of garlic. Adding cornstarch to the seasoning will give the shrimp a nice crust and help seal in the flavor. Serve the shrimp with steamed rice; pouring the extra butter sauce over.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb 8/12 ct. jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup garlic minced
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix together the cornstarch, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- Pat dry the shrimp on paper towels. Toss the shrimp in the seasoning.
- Heat up the olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 3 minutes without moving.
- Flip the shrimp over. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the other tbsp of butter and the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
- Toss the shrimp with parsley and squeeze over the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
Who doesn’t love mac and cheese?! Once you learn how to make it from scratch, you’ll never eat the boxed crap with powdered fake cheese again. Yeah, it takes a little bit more effort to make, but it’s worth it.
Ingredients
- 16 oz boxed macaroni prepared according to instructions
- 1 stick butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 2 cups marble jack cheese grated
- 2 cups gouda grated
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Prepare the boxed macaroni according to instructions; cooking 1 minute shy of being done. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water.
- Grease a 9”x13” cake pan. Pour in the cooked macaroni.
- Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the whole milk, evaporated milk, and all of the seasonings. Continuously whisk over medium heat for 5 minutes until the cream sauce thickens.
- Add in the shredded marble jack and gouda. Whisk until it melts into the cream sauce.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni.
- Top with the breadcrumbs and cheddar cheese. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
