I am certainly regionalizing myself to be cooking up Country Fried Steak (and here we do not call it chicken fried steak). Once again the choice of meat helped me narrow my dinner options. After the thaw-a-thon last week I went for the slimmest, fastest cooking cut: the flank steak. The flank is the long, thin muscle that makes up the abdominal wall of the cow. It is often a tough, overused muscle that is marinated, cooked quickly over high heat, and then sliced across the grain. The slaughterhouse that processed our meat follows halal method, which in Islamic doctrine governs the treatment, processing, and consumption of animals. I appreciate this processor because I know the animals will receive the most humane treatment available. (At this point I know you're wondering how on earth I have put country fried steak and Islamic halal in the same paragraph.) Because of the processor's focus on meeting Islamic dietary restrictions, my flank steak came a bit non-traditionally. Instead of one long 3-4lb flank steak with the fatty portion in tact, mine are cut down into half-pound pieces with no fat remaining. At first I thought this would pose a challenge. The meat is so lean it was bright purple, and the whole piece only weighed as much as two sticks of butter--pounded flat. I thought for sure if I cooked it over high heat it would be a tough, dry piece of crispiness in no time. That's when I stumbled upon that meat genius: Emeril, and his version of Country Fried Steak. The recipe is exceedingly simple, but it worked perfectly with our flank steak. Perhaps because our steer was on the young side or maybe because grass-fed meat just doesn't get as tough, but the meat was tender and tasty at the recommended three-minutes per side frying time. (Oh, and if you are still noodling on that halal business, check out the website Green Zabiha to learn more.)

I announced to my husband we would be eating country fried steak for dinner. He seemed intrigued and said he had never eaten it before. I was astounded. Really? Well, hasn't it been around, like, forever? I attempted to look up the origins of the country (or even chicken) fried steak. Yes, this dish has many names and probably just as many claiming it's fame. It seems, though, that in the U.S. the dish has been around in name for the better part of a century. However, people were certainly pan-frying pounded out pieces of battered red meat long before that. I realized the Southern classic is shockingly similar to my husband's all-time favorite food: Wienerschnitzel. Though the Austrian version is served with just a lemon and a side of spaetzle, we humble Americans of course go for the cream gravy and mashed potatoes. I was all out of potatoes, so we settled for grits (with some obligatory cheese thrown in for the girls). We used the remainder of our bunch of kale for another Kale Salad. It's always good to pair bacon gravy and fried meat with some raw, dark greens! We made our cheese grits super simple. This meal was a definite keeper.

Cheese Grits

Boil 3 cups water

Add 1/2 tsp. salt

When boiling, slowly stir in 1 cup organic corn grits/polenta

Simmer on medium-low heat until water is almost fully absorbed, stirring occasionally, 10-20min.

Add 1/3 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese (or use your favorite--Parmigiano-Reggiano is divine)

Stir to allow cheese to melt and then serve while hot

Country Fried Steak

Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Prep Time:

5 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

40 min

Level:

--

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (1 1/2 to 2 pounds) flank steak
• Salt and pepper
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• Essence, recipe follows
• 2 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 6 ounces finely chopped bacon
• 1/4 cup minced onions
• 3 cups whole milk

Directions

Cut the flank steak into four equal portions, crosswise. Using a meat mallet, pound out the steak, about 1/4-inch. Season with salt and pepper. Season 2 cups of the flour with Essence. Dredge the steaks in the season flour. Dip the steaks in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the steaks in the seasoned flour, coating each side completely. Add enough oil to a large skillet to fill about 1/4-inch of the pan. Heat the oil. When the oil is hot, carefully lay the steaks in the hot oil. Pan-fry the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden. Season with salt and pepper. In another skillet, render the bacon until crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions and continue to saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Whisk in the milk and bring the liquid to a simmer, cook the gravy for 3 to 4 minutes. If the gravy is too thick add a little more milk and if too thin, cook a little longer. Remove from the heat and season with salt and black pepper. Spoon the gravy over each steak.

Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.