2 lb. beef tender
2 cans evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. Lawry’s
3 cups flour
2 Tbsp. Loveless Season Salt
½ stick butter
¼ cup olive oil
Cognac Cream Sauce
3 Tbsp. peanut oil
½ lb. beef scraps
6 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp. peppercorns, brined
2 cups white wine
1 cup brandy
2 cups chicken stock
¾ cup cream
Pan Gravy
2 Tbsp. flour
Water
Cream
Salt to taste
Prep the meat. Slice the beef into medallions. Use a mallet and pound each medallion until if is about ¼ inch thick. Stir the Lawry’s into the evaporated milk. Combine the medallions and the seasoned milk in a zip lock bag and let the meat soak for at least an hour.
Cognac Cream Sauce. Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil smokes, add the beef scraps and brown on all sides (about 5 minutes). Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. of the rendered fat (leaving the scraps in the skillet), lower the heat to medium, and add the shallots, garlic and peppercorns. Saute until the shallots are browned (about 5 minutes). Turn off the heat and add the wine and brandy. Stir well and bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat and allow to boil until it is reduced by half (about 7 minutes). Add the stock, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until reduced by half (about 30 minutes). Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan and set aside. Strain the sauce into the hot cream and keep warm until ready to serve.
Saute the meat. Combine the flour and Loveless Season Salt in another zip lock bag. Transfer the meat to the flour bag and shake until each piece is evenly coated with the seasoned flour. Combine 2 Tbsp. butter with 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Shake the excess flour from each steak as you transfer it from the bag to the skillet. The steaks should not be touching in the skillet (you will probably have to make several batches). Saute until brown (about 3 minutes per side). Serve each batch while it’s hot. You will have to replenish the skillet with equal parts butter and olive oil between batches.
Pan Gravy. If you are in the mood for something simpler than the Cognac Cream Sauce, try this simple pan gravy. When you finish sautéing the meat you should have about 1/4 cup of leftover oil and butter in the pan. Add the flour to the leftover oil over medium heat and whisk until the flour stops bubbling. Stir in water until the gravy is the right consistency (use a mix of water and cream if you want cream gravy). Salt and pepper to taste.
Our comments: I have been working on the “perfect chicken fried steak” for years. I really like this “deluxe” version, but I always wanted to do it like they do at Mary’s in Strawn, Texas. Crawford Edwards originally turned me on to Mary’s. Here's my best Mary's imitation: use some thin-cut round steak pounded with a tenderizer instead of the beef tender and serve it with Pan Gravy. Two of my favorite foods that I still have not figured out to my satisfaction are (1) chicken fried steak (but with the Pan Gravy, I'm getting really close) and (2) cheese enchiladas. Help me …