Robb Walsh's Southern-Style Chicken-Fried Steak
"[Photograph: Laurie Smith] While researching Texas Eats Robb Walsh set out on a journey of Chicken-Fried Steak discovery. He ate his way around rural Texas, seeking out the best versions of this big Texan standard. Some were memorable, others not so much. But if you've ever experienced the weighty dish known as the CFS, you've got to hand it to Walsh; his search for the best steak was a stomach-stretching exercise to say the least. What Worked: Battering a tenderized steak, crisping it up fried chicken style, and topping the whole thing off with a pepper spiked cream gravy is a Texan classic. Big, hearty cowboy fare at its finest. What Didn't: Let's just say this is not a plate for dainty diners. Suggested Tweaks: You can make sweet onion gravy for your CFSs by sweating down a large onion first and then proceeding with the gravy recipe. Reprinted with permission from Texas Eats by Robb Walsh. Copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved...."