Carnivores Unite! If you're looking for THE BEST Country-Fried Steak Fingers with Cream Gravy, you've arrived! This easy recipe incorporates a reverse-cook method that transforms chewy beef minute-steaks into steak fingers that melt in your mouth. Perfect tender beef on the inside with a crispy-crunchy coating on the outside. (And extra heavenly when slathered with cream gravy! ) #Beef #MinuteSteaks #ChickenFried #SteakFingers #Crispy #OvenBaked #TenderSteak #CountryGravy #Easy #Seasoning #Recipe #Mouthwatering #Best #Southern
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 10 minutesminutes
oven time to get beef tender first: 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
3lbs. minute-steaks, or round steak that you pound into tenderized minute-steaks
1 Tbs. Vegetable or canola oil
2 Tbs. butter
2eggs
2cupsbuttermilk, or 2 cups milk to which 4 Tbs. cider vinegar has been added to sour it
1 1/2 - 2cupscornstarch
2cupsflour, combined with 2 tsp. each kosher salt, paprika, and black pepper, 1 tsp. each granulated onion, granulated garlic, and baking powder. (or just use 2 cups Ag-Vantage Spice Mix, a pre-seasoned gluten-free breading mix!)
Cream Gravy
1/4cupoil and pan drippings leftover from frying the steak fingers, if you have more oil in your skillet when ready to make gravy, remove the excess; if you have less than 1/4 cup oil, add what you need.
1/4cupflour, (or use 1/4 cup Ag-Vantage Spice Mix, a pre-seasoned gluten-free breading mix)
12oz.can evaporated milk
1 - 1 1/2cupswhole milk (If you opt not to use the evaporated milk, you may substitute 2 - 2 1/2 cups cream in place of both the evaporated milk and the whole milk. Either way you get a super creamy gravy!)
Instructions
To Prepare the Country Fried Steak Fingers
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Place the uncooked minute steaks into a 9 x 13 baking dish; add 1/2 cup beef broth, covering the pan tightly with foil.
Place the baking dish of meat into the preheated oven on the center rack; bake for approx. 1 1/2 hours or until the minute steaks are fork-tender when tested. (Don’t be concerned with how much the minute steaks may have shrunk during the cooking process. This is normal and okay.)
Remove the cooked minute steaks from the oven and let them fully cool. (Removing them to a plate or platter helps them cool quicker.) When the steaks have cooled, slice then into fingers, approx 1 - 1 1/4 inches wide. (Or as wide or narrow as you prefer.)
Prepare the breading station by placing a couple of large sheets of parchment paper or foil over your work surface, close to your stove or cook top.
Place 1 shallow bowl and 2 pie plates onto the parchment. Fill the shallow bowl with the eggs and buttermilk; beat with a fork or small whisk to combine.
Add the half of the cornstarch to one of the pie plates, then place half of the breading mix into the remaining pie plate. (This way you can work in batches as needed with the cornstarch and breading mix.)
Take each steak finger and dip it into the egg mixture, then into the cornstarch. Now dip the steak finger into the egg mixture once more, then into the breading mixture. Remove each breaded steak finger to a plate in a single layer.
Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat, add about 1/2” - 3/4” of oil, along with the butter. When the oil is nicely hot, add the breaded steak fingers to the hot oil; frying them until nicely golden brown, approx 2-3 minutes per side.
Remove the country fried steak fingers to a paper towel-lined plate, keeping them warm.
To Prepare the Cream Gravy
Now it’s time to make the cream gravy - yay! Over medium heat, using about 1/4 cup of the leftover oil with drippings (from frying the steak fingers), add 1/4 cup of the breading mix (or just flour); cook this mixture for 1 minute, whisking often.
Now, completely remove the skillet from the heat. Very slowly, whisk In the evaporated milk **Please Note: This step of removing the skillet from the heat while whisking the first bit of liquid into the cooked flour in the skillet is one of the best and little-known secrets to making lump-free gravy, FYI.
Now return the skillet to medium heat, whisking in the remaining 2 cups of milk, a little at a time until the gravy is smooth and creamy. (If the gravy is too thick as it cools, add more milk, as needed.)
Serve the warm country fried steak fingers smothered with cream gravy, alongside your favorite mashed potatoes (with more gravy!) and green beans or asparagus.