Three Most Important Things...

One of our readers writes in with an important question: “I was wanting to know what the best recipe you've been given so far for chicken fried steak and fried pickles.”

(I’ll keep his/her identify a secret, in case s/he is, like, a nutritionist and only a secret CFS eater).

While I haven't found a perfect recipe, and wouldn’t dare to run afoul of your grandma’s special recipe, I will tell you the elements that I think should be required for a quality chicken fried dish:
* White pepper in the batter. So crucial.

* Buttermilk, not milk. The tangy flavor makes all the difference. This should especially help with your pickles.

* Double dip the steak/pickle in the flour and wet mix. I like a thick crust, so this helps to get a good coat.

What am I missing? What are your favorite techniques or recipes? Inquiring (and hungry) minds want to know.

The Brickhouse - Humble, TX

Being the youngest “oldest” people at the Brickhouse is not fun. An upscale version of a Hooters, the Brickhouse (at FM 1960 and 59) apparently prides itself on babes and beer ― scantily clad waitresses and an expansive beer menu. They even have trading cards (yes, trading cards) of their waitresses, with a picture of the waitress in a plunging neckline shirt on one side and likes and dislikes and fun facts on the other. It was like reading Playboy without the fun cartoons.

Chicken Fried Neighbor and I ate outside one chilly Friday ― being the young, elderly type, we asked the waitress/model to turn down the music which was blaring Tom Petty at ear harming levels. Can’t do it ― it takes away from the “party theme” she told us. Turn up the heater, we implored! It’s as”high as it can go” she replied.

Despite my cranky objections to the atmosphere, the food was good.

The CFS was done well and enjoyable. The breading was crispy and served as a perfect complement to the creamy gravy. The gravy was a white gravy with good flavor but not enough pepper. A hearty dash of white pepper would have woken up an otherwise bland diary flavor. It also had mushrooms, which I didn’t care for. I think there are better ways to achieve flavor in a gravy.

The side I chose was the “cheesy potatoes,” glorified mashed potatoes with a healthy (not healthy for you) amount of cheddar cheese. There were big chunks of new potatoes which made the texture of the dish terrific. It’s hard to go wrong with that much starch and cheese and the dish did not disappoint. Still, it felt like a 9^th grader’s version of mashed potatoes ― absent elegance, add cheese.

The CFS was also accompanied by a delightful Texas toast ― crispy and buttery on one side and soft and pillowy on the other.

The food is good here, as long as you can tolerate the atmosphere.

I'm not ashamed.

This is just pure food porn. Sent by a buddy traveling in Arizona. Chicken Fried Steak at the Cowboy Cafe in Wickenburg, Arizona.

This got me thinking -- send me your CFS pics (chickenfriedtexan@gmail.com) and I'll post them. Our collective culinary travels will celebrate the tastiest of all the fried meats!

Frank's Restaraunt - Shulenburg, TX

You may know Frank’s for their famous “Shulenburger” Burger but there is more to know. I sampled their CFS on the last leg of a trip and enjoyed it immensely.

It was simple, petite and magnificent. Her diminutive size belied her flavor packed punch. The creamy gravy cascaded over the crispy breading like a glorious waterfall – just enough gravy to entertain each bite. Mashed potatoes accompanied and were lumpy and starchy – the perfect compliment to a perfectly cooked steak and just salty enough breading. The only vegetable in sight was a sprig of parsley (which I declined to eat for health reasons).

So, next time you stop, order up the CFS if you’re looking for a burger alternative. Just expect to be very sleepy afterwards.

Texas Land & Cattle – Tomball, TX

A little Chicken Fried Texan math: Bacon + Jalapeno + Melty Cheddar Cheese = delight.

Our waitress told us about a new menu “soft” rollout with some tasty fried goodies. The one that caught my eye was the “fried jalapeños.” These were not your corner bar’s stuffed jalapenos. These plump heaters were lightly breaded and stuffed with cheddar cheese, bacon and onions, unlike traditional fried jalapenos filled with only cream cheese or cheddar cheese. The seeds were left inside, giving the redesigned “poppers” a nice but understated heat.

These new poppers with a cold beer and some helmet-on-helmet football violence on Sunday afternoon and I’m a happy man.

Twisted Root Burger Company - Richardson, TX

There’s more to life than CFS. Taking a brief sojourn from CFS, on a recent trip north to Dallas we had the chance to eat at Twisted Root (www.twistedrootburgerco.com), an excellent and eclectic burger joint.

The burgers were excellent, but the fried goodie basket was amazing. Aptly named the “Fried Ride,” this basket of fried vittles arrived at the table with deep fried sweet potatoes, pickles, green beans and onions. Dipped in a little ranch and zinged with a dribble of one of Twisted Root’s signature ketchups (featuring curry and chipotle, among others) and you’re in heart-clogging heaven. The crispness of the veggies , the tender fried exterior and the salty, creamy ranch made for a wonderful bite at all levels.

Just forget about that New Year’s diet idea right now and get some of this.

Mel's Diner - Gidding, TX

Chicken Fried Road Trip - Part III

The finale to our trip, after a day of imbibing some of the best barbeque joints in Texas, we decided to end our trip with a chicken fried meal.

Mel’s Diner, right on Highway 290, is an old 50s style diner, although a bit rundown (not dissimilar to our waitress who looked a bit rundown herself). I’m fine with dives but the food must be good. Places like this give dives a bad name.

The meal was $8.99 for the “small” CFS. The CFS, which was good sized, was pan fried which made it crispy and gave it a smoky favor. This was a nice change from the more heavy southern style we’d had on the trip to date.

Unfortunately, the meat was chewy, a result of the quick pan fry. The meal came with the choice of a potato product – the French fries were pretty standard, nothing great. Sad little salad accompanied – lettuce and tomato (or some kind of reddish disc) were wilted and old and was not enhanced by the “Newman’s Own” packet dressing which arrived with the salad.

I pine for these kinds of places – wary highway travelers sharing stories, the history, tens of thousands of plates passed from the well-warn kitchen. If only the food were good.