Chicken Fried Steak & Cream Gravy

Ingredients:

Large Egg	1	Flour	˝ cup
Butter Milk	1 cup	Cracker Meal (see note)	˝ cup
Salt	To Taste	Vegetable Shorting (Crisco)
Black Pepper	To Taste	Beef Cutlet (hand tenderized)	1 3 to 5 oz.

Whip together egg, buttermilk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; set batter aside.

Blend together flour and cracker meal in another bowl. Place cutlet in mixture, and cover both sides well. Submerge the cutlet in the egg batter; then place it back in the flour mixture, patting both sides again evenly to coat.

Melt shortening in a deep fryer (or cast-iron skillet), and heat to 325°. Place cutlet in fryer, and fry until it floats and turns golden. Remove steak from fryer; drain well, reserving ˝ c. drippings for gravy if desired. Place steak on plate, and keep warm while preparing Cream Gravy Spoon gravy generously over steak.

Note: Place crackers in a baggie & roll with rolling pin to crush to a small fine texture.

Ingredients:

Shorting or reserve drippings	˝ Cup	Flour	ź cup
Milk	1 qt.	Salt	To Taste
Black Pepper	To Taste

Place shortening in a 10-to 12-inch cast-iron skillet and heat until hot. Gradually add flour, and cook over low heat until mixture turns brown, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add remaining ingredients, and cook, stirring constantly until thick. If gravy gets too thick, thin to desired consistency with water.

Note: This recipe makes enough gravy for 4 steaks.