Chicken-fried steak and cream gravy

Stephan Pyles' recipe from the Hill Top Cafe, just outside Fredericksburg.

HILL TOP CAFE CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK WITH BLACK PEPPER CREAM GRAVY 

Yield: 4 servings

“Many of my multigenerational Texan friends have told me that my cookbook would be incomplete without a recipe for chicken-fried steak.

“The most obvious difference from the classic version is a better cut of meat; unless the traditional round steak is tenderized completely, its texture resembles well-aged shoe leather.”

Steak:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds chuck steak

2 cups milk

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

Vegetable or corn oil, for frying

Black pepper cream gravy:

5 tablespoons flour

3 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

To prepare the steak, cut the meat into 4 portions and trim the fat. Pound to tenderize until as thin as possible (about 1/8 to 1/16 inch). Place the steaks in a shallow bowl or pan and cover with the milk. Let stand in the refrigerator at least 12 hours.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Remove the steaks from the milk, dredge in the flour and press firmly so a crust adheres to the steaks. In a large skillet, pour enough oil to come 1 inch up the sides, and set over medium heat until lightly smoking, about 375 degrees.

Cook 2 steaks at a time, for 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove the steaks, drain on paper towels, and keep warm while making the gravy.

To make the gravy, pour out all but 4 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet, leaving the drippings in the pan. Over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook until golden brown, whisking continuously. Drizzle in the milk, stir in the pepper and season with salt.