Herb-Crusted Country Fried Steak

Why This Herb-Crusted Country Fried Steak Works

During frying, the buttermilk and egg coating sticks to the cube steak and gives the dry crust something to grab onto. The liquid soaks into the rough surface of the meat a little, so the flour and cornmeal mix can cling in a thick, even layer instead of sliding off. As the steaks hit the hot oil, that coating starts to set right away and forms a firm shell around the meat.

Over a few minutes in the pan, the flour and cornmeal brown and turn crisp, while the herbs and spices spread through the crust. At the same time, the steak inside cooks more gently. The crust acts like a jacket, so the juices stay inside the meat instead of running straight into the oil. By the time both sides are golden, the outside is crunchy and the cube steak has stayed moist and tender under that herb-filled crust.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the oil get too hot before adding the steaks makes the crust brown very fast while the inside of the meat stays tough and undercooked. The outside can even burn in spots, and by the time the center is done, the coating tastes scorched and hard instead of crisp.

Starting with steaks that are wet from the package causes the coating to slide off in the pan. The moisture turns to steam under the crust, so the breading bubbles, separates, and leaves bare patches of meat instead of an even, crunchy layer.

Skipping the step of pressing the steaks into the flour and cornmeal mix leads to a thin, patchy crust. During frying, the loose coating falls off into the oil, the steaks look uneven, and the crumbs in the pan burn and stick to later batches.

Crowding the skillet with too many steaks at once cools the oil down. The crust then soaks up oil instead of crisping, so the steaks come out greasy and soft rather than light and crunchy.