Down Home Southern Eats

Welcome to the 22nd day in January. On the National Foodie Front, today we celebrate the down home goodness of Southern Cooking. Makes me what to wear a belle-of-the-ball hoop skirt and sip a tall glass of sweet tea.

Like a lot of women my age, I’ve got Gone With the Wind romantic notions of the South. My first ever school dance was a costume ball. I went as Miss Scarlet. My mother sewed my southern bell dress and I won first prize. I know, our rose-colored glasses are a far cry from the real Civil War South. Oh but who could resist Rhett Butler?

One thing I know for sure is that I love down home Southern-Country cooking. I love a good fish fry. I enjoy Chicken Fried Pork Chops and green beans with bacon. You can bet Southern Folks have figured out a way to either fry it or smother it in bacon. Sometimes they’ll do both.

One of my favorite Southern Supper has to be Fried Chicken, with mashed potatoes, lots of gravy and sweet corn on the cob. Another is Chicken Fried Steak. According to Hubby, Chicken Fried Steak is an acquired taste. My thoughts are, if I keep cooking Southern Dishes, he’ll come around. Maybe I can even get him to eat Liver and Onions some day, another acquired taste. One can only hope.

Chicken Fried Steak with Sawmill Gravy
Chicken Fried Steak
2 lb Cube Steaks (6 steaks)
Salt to taste
Fresh Black Pepper to taste
1 cup Flour, divided
2 large Eggs
1/3 cup Milk
30 Saltine Crackers
1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Lard for frying

Lay steaks out on the counter. Season with salt and pepper. If desired or if steaks are more than 1/2-inch thick, pound with a meat tenderizing mallet. Set steaks aside and set up dredging stations.

Set up 3 pie tins for the dredging station. In the first measure out 1/2-cup flour, set aside. In the second, whisk together the eggs and milk. For the final station, crush saltine crackers, Mix crackers with remaining 1/2-cup flour. Season saltine mixture with seasoning salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Place a rimmed baking sheet at the end of the dredging station.

Begin by dredging the cubes steak in the flour, then egg mixture, then the saltine cracker mixture, shaking off excess at each station. Place the steak on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the steaks have been dredges.

In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt enough lard to fill skillet with about a half-inch of oil. Fry steaks in batches, cooking about 5 minutes per side. Hold in a warm oven on a platter until all the steaks have been fried.

Once all the steaks are in the oven resting, make the sawmill gravy.

Sawmill Gravy
1/4 cup Flour
2 cups Milk
Salt to taste
White Pepper to taste

Remove all but about 1/4-cup of melted lard from the skillet. Add flour to the pan. Whisk to blend flour with lard, then coon over medium-low heat for 2 minutes to create a roux.

Gradually whisk in the milk. Continue whisking to keep smooth as the gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a gravy boat. Serve with Chicken Fried Steak to use as desired (great on the mashed potatoes as well as the steak).

Flavorful Mashed Potatoes
8 medium Russet Potatoes
1 tablespoon Granulated Chicken Bouillon
1/3 cup Milk
4 tablespoons Butter
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes by about an inch. Add bouillon to the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce and slow boil until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes well in a colander.

Return potatoes to the pot. Add butter, season with salt and pepper. Mash potatoes, adding a little milk until a nice thick mashed consistency is reached. Gently warm potatoes in the pot, stirring as needed.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy.

Kitchen Cut Green Beans
1 can Cut Green Beans
Water as desired

Drain green beans well, rinse and place in a sauce pan. Add just enough water to cook the beans. Gently warm until ready to serve.

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Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel
2 Timothy 1:10