Panko Chicken-Fried Steak Katsu With Milk Gravy

This was a real winner.  We love fried meats and gravies around here.  Below is the original recipe, but here are some modifications I made while cooking it the first time:

The kids aren't huge fans of cayenne, so we went light on that and relied more on paprika and Cajun seasonings (I actually used some packets of Cajun Sparkle I had around the house, which worked really well).

I'd make sure to drain the steak of a paper towel after frying, but it's possible I just used too much oil.

When making the gravy, I added butter to the fats.  I also made much more than what it says below - at least double but probably more.  We love lots of gravy.

Panko Chicken-Fried Steak Katsu With Milk Gravy

Ingredients

Chicken-fried steak katsu

1/2 pound cube steak (about 1 to 2 steaks, depending on the size)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying

Milk gravy

1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Mashed potatoes and coleslaw, for serving (optional)

Directions

For the chicken-fried steak katsu: Season both sides of the steak(s) with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Set up three stations for the flour, eggs (whisked with the tablespoon of milk), and panko, seasoning each with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Dip the steaks in the flour, then the eggs, then the panko, ensuring that all sides, nooks, and crannies are well coated.

In a cast-iron skillet, heat a shallow layer of vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry steaks in the oil, about 2 minutes per side (the second side may need even less) or until lightly browned. These cook up very quickly, so you can take them out as soon as the panko changes color.

For the milk gravy: Remove oil from the pan, leaving behind a tablespoon. Stir in the tablespoon of flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the milk; season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg; and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened into a lovely gravy.

Serve the katsu with mashed potatoes and coleslaw, smothering the plate with milk gravy. Rice is good, too, if you don't want to bother with potatoes.

Original link:

https://food52.com/recipes/80830-chicken-fried-steak-katsu-with-milk-gravy