Chicken Fried Steak (1914)

Wilson Gray hwgray at GMAIL.COM
Thu Aug 3 21:09:43 UTC 2006 

What could move anyone to conclude that chicken-fried steak contains
chicken? Is there lobster in lobster sauce?

-Wilson

On 8/2/06, Bapopik at aol.com <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
>
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Chicken Fried Steak (1914)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Another food item to check on America's Historical Newspapers & the =20
> historical Dallas Morning News. This is STILL not in the OED ("miserable
> on=20=
> food")?
> ...
> ...
> ...
> =20
> _http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/chi
> cken_fried_steak_cfs/_=20
> (
> http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/chicken_fried_steak=
> _cfs/)=20
> ...
> =20
> Chicken fried steak (CFS) is one of the most popular dishes in Texas. It
> =20
> contains no chicken. The exact origins of the dish are unclear.=20
>
>
> _http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/ChickenFriedSteak.htm_=20
> (
> http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php?URL=3Dhttp://whatscookingamerica.net/Be=
> ef/ChickenFriedSteak.h
> tm)  =20
> In Texas, the reigning queen of comfort food or down-home cooking is =20
> chicken-fried steak, or as Texans affectionately call it CFS. Every city,
> to=
> wn,  and=20
> village in Texas takes prides in their CFS.=20
> (...)=20
> You might be  surprised to learn that there is no chicken in
> Chicken-Fried=20
> Steak. It is  tenderized round steak (a cheap and tough piece of beef)
> made=20=
> like=20
> fried chicken  with a milk gravy made from the drippings left in the
> pan.=20
> (...) =20
> Although not official, the dish is considered the state dish of Texas. =20
> According to a Texas Restaurant Associate, it is estimated that 800,000
> orde=
> rs  of=20
> Chicken-Fried Steak are served in Texas every day, not counting any
> prepared=
> =20
> at home. =20
> 1844-1850 - The origin of the Chicken-Fried Steak probably comes from the
> =20
> German people who settled in Texas from 1844 to 1850. As Wiener Schnitzel
> is=
> a =20
> popular German dish that is made from veal, and because veal was never
> popul=
> ar=20
> in Texas and beef was, the German immigrants probably adapted their
> popular=
> =20
> dish  to use the tougher cuts of beef available to them. =20
> _http://www.texascooking.com/features/june2002chickenfriedsteak.htm_=20
> (
> http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php?URL=3Dhttp://www.texascooking.com/featu=
> res/june2002c
> hickenfriedsteak.htm)  =20
> Chicken Fried Steak - A Texas Tradition Revisited=20
> by David Bulla =20
> (...)=20
> Why is it called =E2=80=9CChicken Fried Steak?=E2=80=9D Well, in the
> descrip=
> tive  name we=20
> can find the reason for all the problems associated with the dish.
> It=E2=80=
> =99s =20
> supposed to be a piece of steak, fried in a pan in the same way that you
> wou=
> ld  make=20
> real old-fashioned fried chicken. But these days, 99 percent of the =20
> restaurants selling fried chicken tend to use a deep fryer to cook the
> chick=
> en.  So,=20
> logically, restaurants also tend to use a deep fryer to cook a piece of
> beef=
> =20
> that resembles fried chicken! So, let=E2=80=99s not call this dish =E2=80=
> =9Cchicken fried=E2=80=9D any =20
> longer. The term is a little confusing. Instead, let=E2=80=99s call it
> =E2=
> =80=9Cpan fried.=E2=80=9D=20
> It=E2=80=99s  a more accurate description. =20
> So, now we=E2=80=99re talking about have =E2=80=9CPan Fried
> Steak=E2=80=9D.=20=
> Well, that sounds a =20
> little bland and non-descript, and could be anything. Let=E2=80=99s make
> sur=
> e everyone =20
> knows where it=E2=80=99s from. Why not call it something like
> =E2=80=9CTexas=
> -Style Pan Fried =20
> Steak.=E2=80=9D But what is the =E2=80=9Csteak?=E2=80=9D Cubed steak? Well
> t=
> hat would work, but not=20
> for  our purposes here. I don=E2=80=99t even know what cut of beef a cubed
> s=
> teak comes=20
> from!  We need to lift this up to a new level. Let=E2=80=99s describe a
> cut=20=
> of steak=20
> here.  Sirloin would work well, and it=E2=80=99s inexpensive. You
> definitely=
> don=E2=80=99t=20
> want to use  an expensive tender cut that would defeat the whole purpose
> of=20=
> the=20
> dish. Who  would want a chicken fried filet mignon? So we arrive finally
> at=20=
> the=20
> properly  descriptive and tempting =E2=80=9CTexas-Style Pan Fried
> Sirloin.=
> =E2=80=9D Not bad=20
> at all. =20
> (...)=20
> Now we get to one of the most important components of
> this  meal=E2=80=94the=
> gravy. I=20
> would consider the gravy as a side dish because it=E2=80=99s
> that  significa=
> nt. You=20
> could almost consider it a food group in itself. Of course,  when we
> are=20
> talking about gravy, we are talking about cream gravy. The fact that  this
> g=
> oes=20
> against all the traditions and rules of classic European cuisine is  part
> of=
> what=20
> makes it so special. The French would laugh, until they tasted it!  It=E2=
> =80=99s a=20
> rebellious combination that works very well, and part of the reason
> why  the=
> dish=20
> is infamous on certain levels. A thick sauce made from pan drippings  and
> a=20
> bastardized combination of a volute and b=C3=A9chamel sauce, studded with
> a=20=
> ton  of=20
> black pepper. It=E2=80=99s rich, it=E2=80=99s creamy and oh so good! The
> mai=
> n ingredient that=20
> makes this gravy special is the pan drippings. They are all too often=20
> forgotten  in restaurant versions of this dish. For this meal, we will get
> i=
> t right.=20
> =20
> 19 June 1914, Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette, pg. 6:=20
> A Summer  Dainty=20
> Chicken Fried Steak=20
> Served at=20
> PHELPS=20
> 111 E. Bijou =20
>
>
> 22 January 1918, Kansas City (MO) Star, pg. 9:=20
> I cooked  the steak for dinner that night. It was not quite as tender as
> bee=
> f=20
> that has  hung longer, but I pounded in some rye flour, remembering
> wheatles=
> s=20
> day, and  made it like chicken fried steak, cooking it very slowly. I made
> a=
> =20
> delicious  brown gravy with it, seasoning it well with salt and pepper.
> I=20
> cooked rice to  eat with it and it made a fine meal, with a dessert, corn
> mu=
> ffins=20
> and coffee. =20
> 2 February 1919, Kansas City (MO) Star, pg. 4A:=20
> Forum  Cafeteria=20
> 1003 Grand Avenue, Downstairs=20
> (...)=20
> Chicken Fried  Steak, Pan Gravy...$.11=20
>
>
> 21 February 1923, Los Angeles Times,  pg. II4:=20
> The muscles of the human jaw exert a force of 534 pounds. And still  they
> ar=
> e=20
> not equal to some of the =E2=80=9Cchicken fried=E2=80=9D steak one gets at
> t=
> he  rapid-fire=20
> lunch counter.=20
>
>
> 5 April 1924, Los Angeles Times,  pg. A6:=20
> CHICKEN FRIED STEAK=20
> R. W. S., Long Beach, wants a recipe  for chicken fried steak.=20
>
> We have never made this dish and this is the  first time that we have
> ever=20
> heard of it. If any of our readers will send us the  recipe we will be
> glad=20=
> to=20
> print it.=20
>
>
> 19 April 1924, Los Angeles  Times, pg. A7:=20
> CHICKEN FRIED STEAK=20
> F. C. M., Los Angeles,  writes that chicken fried steak is beef steak
> rolled=
> =20
> in flour, fried in a pan,  and served with country gravy, the gravy
> being=20
> poured on a hot platter and the  fried steak placed over it.=20
>
>
> 13 March 1928, Los Angeles Times,  pg. A9:=20
> CHICKEN FRIED STEAK=20
> H. E. M., Long Beach, Cal. For the  chicken fried steak take a piece of
> top=20
> round and pound as much flour into it as  it will take up. Place in a
> saute=20=
> pan=20
> sufficient shortening and fry the steak.  Remove to a hot platter, make
> a=20
> cream gravy, pour on a platter and place the  steak over it.=20
>
>
> 23 April 1935, Washington Post, pg. 15: =20
> This steak, no doubt, is what many call a chicken-fried steak and is a
> piece=
> =20
> of top-round, which is prepared in the following manner: Have the steak
> cut=20=
> =20
> one-half inch thick. Pound it well on both sides with a wooden potato
> masher=
> =20
> or  mallet. Rub the steak on both sides with flour which has been mixed
> with=
> a =20
> sprinkling of salt and pepper. Sear it quickly on both sides in a
> little=20
> grease  in a frying pan. Then cover and place in a moderately low oven
> (325=20
> degrees F.)  for about 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. This type of
> steak=20=
> is=20
> excellent when  served with mushroom or tomato sauce .The pounding tenders
> t=
> he=20
> naturally tough  fibers of the meat.=20
>
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>



--
Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out
the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon
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