Authentic Southern Chicken Fried Steak recipe

Place each steak between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet pound the steak until it is very thin, less than 1/4 inch. Then, sprinkle a little salt over the meat and set aside.

Prepare two wide dishes. In the first one, whisk together the eggs and milk. In the second, whisk together the flour, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne.

Dredge a steak in the flour. Press the flour into both sides of the steak. Lift the steak, shake off the excess flour, and dip the steak into the egg wash, coating it on both sides.

Lift the steak out of the egg wash, shake off the excess egg wash, and then dredge the steak in the flour a second time. Again, press the flour into the steak on both sides. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining steaks.

Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to cover the bottom by 1/4 inch. Heat the oil to 350°F or until it sizzles when you drop a little flour into it. Then, lay a coated steak in the hot oil.

Fry until you see the edges of the steak turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn the steak over in the pan, and fry for 2 more minutes.

Tip the steak up with a metal spatula to drain the excess oil. Remove it from the pan and place it on the wire rack in the preheated oven to 200°F to keep it warm. Repeat with the remaining steaks.

Turn off the heat under the pan. Pour out all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour and turn the heat on to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

When the flour-fat mixture is smooth, slowly add the milk and cream, whisking constantly. Add milk to your desired thickness for gravy. Season with salt and lots of black pepper, to taste.

Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes or your choice of side. Enjoy!