Steak Fingers (West Texas drive-in food, 1950s)

Thu Oct 11 08:02:34 UTC 2007

O.T.: GET GRASS, LOSE ALL COMMUNICATION.
Two days ago, I lost my entire Time Warner triple play (internet,
cable, phone). I was told to wait at home from 8 a.m. until midnight.
The guy finally came at 4 p.m.  and fixed the thing into two minutes.
...
We put in new grass at the house, and the men adjusted the sprinkler
system. Apparently, the guys cut the cable line to the house next to
me. They waited three days for Time Warner to arrive (it happened
Friday afternoon). When Time Warner re-connected the house next door
on Monday, it disconnected my house. Time Warner really sucks...Man,
it was all because of the grass.
...
O.T.: AOL-ELLEN DEGENERES
AOL is running something with Ellen DeGeneres about why she should
come visit your town. A featured question is about the "Windy City."
Then local drinks are explained, like "Long Island Iced Tea." In the
AOL quiz today (http://ellen.aol.com/editorial/the+surprising+state+trivia+quiz),
it's said that "iced tea" comes from Missouri. Iced tea was invented
at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, dontcha know. I really must kill
myself.
...
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STEAK FINGERS
...
"Steak fingers" should be in OED and possibly DARE. It seems to be a
regional dish, starting at West Texas drive-ins in the 1950s. Buddy;s
Drive In at Andrews, TX is most famous for it today. It should be in a
Texas Food Museum that I'd really like to get off the ground, at least
on the web.
...
...

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/steak_fingers/
...
Entry from October 11, 2007
Steak Fingers (Steakfingers)
"Steak fingers" (breaded beef strips) became popular snacks at West
Texas drive-ins in the 1950s and 1960s. Buddy's Drive In (Andrews, TX)
began in 1969 and claims to be "Steakfinger Headquarters," but it did
not invent "steak fingers." Dairy Queen has had "steak fingers" on its
menu since at least 1966.

Buddy's Drive In
The words Steakfinger Headquarters are painted in blue letters on the
side of the little white building with the carport out front at 106
East Broadway (432-523-2840). And that's no lie.

Eating steak fingers at Buddy's is a religious experience, though not
a weight loss program. The order is enormous, and it costs just $4.95.
The pile of tender, tasty steak fingers probably stands half a foot
high. Steak fingers, in case you didn't know, are breaded strips of
beef.

I should also mention that the steak fingers come with a bowl of
creamy gravy for dipping. Very few people can finish an order all by
themselves, said Marion Chapman, a waitress here for twenty- five
years, so many people share.

"This one man, he had never ordered steak fingers. 'Oh ma'am, I didn't
know you were going to bring the last supper.' "

Buddy's has been around since 1969. Yes there is a Buddy, though he
doesn't run the place. The owners are Minnie Coleman and Floy
Robertson. Buddy is Minnie's husband.

"We just decided to name it after him," Floy said. "We thrashed that
around for about a month. Finally, we came up with his name."

When someone dies in Andrews, Buddy's sends the grieving family large
roasting pans of steak fingers to help them through their loss. "And
the gravy that goes with it," Floy said. "That's better than flowers.
That's all we can give."

Imitation being the purest form of flattery, Buddy's name has popped
up in other places. "There are some places in Houston that have signs
that say they have steak fingers like Buddy's in Andrews, Texas," Floy
said.

"There's a restaurant in New York that has the same thing inside. A
guy from Odessa said he and his wife were visiting in downtown New
York, and the first thing they saw was a sign that said they had steak
fingers like Andrews, Texas." Maybe so, but a pile of steak fingers
like they serve at Buddy's would cost you about $99 in New York City.

South Texas Dairy Queen Menu
Steak Finger Country Basket
It's a Texas original that has made Texas Dairy Queen stores famous
for almost 50 years! Juicy steak fingers, crisp French fries, Texas
toast, and creamy country gravy make the Steak Finger Country Basket*
a great meal for lunch or dinner. Have a four-piece Basket, or if
you're really hungry, go for a 6-piece Country Basket*. Some Texas
stores also offer an 8-piece Country Basket*.

All Recipes
Steak Fingers
SUBMITTED BY: Rita Fay
"Easy to make and a favorite of my family. Excellent with french fries
and a salad!!"

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 pound round steak
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour for coating

DIRECTIONS
Tenderize steak by pounding with a mallet. Cut into 3 inch long strips.
Combine egg, milk, salt and pepper in a shallow dish, whisk until well blended.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1/3 cup oil (or just enough
to cover the bottom of the pan).
Coat steak pieces in flour. Shake off excess. Then dip in the egg
mixture and again in flour.
Fry the strips in the hot oil until golden brown; about 2 minutes.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb oil.

Cooks.com
STEAK FINGERS
Round steak, sprinkle with meat tenderizer and let stand 1 hour. Cut
into bite size or finger size pieces. Combine and dip meat pieces in 2
eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce then roll in flour, then deep fry.

3 September 1934, San Antonio (TX) Express, pg. 5, col. 3:
Buns, butter, barbecue sauce, individual steak fingers, corn on the
cob, coffee, watermelon made up the menu.

7 November 1951, Big Spring (TX) Daily Herald, pg.9 9, col. 3 ad:
Chicken in the Basket
Chicken in the Box
Steak Fingers in the Basket
EVERYBODY'S DRIVE INN

30 December 1952, El Paso (TX) Herald-Post, pg. 12, col. 2 ad:
Steak Fingers in Basket...65c
CLOCK DRIVE-INS

5 November 1953, Abilene (TX) Reporter-News, pg. 2A, col. 5 ad:
Take Home Specials
All Served in Baskets with Plenty of French Fries:
Steak Fingers
Chicken
Shrimp
CASEY'S RESTAURANTS

11 November 1953, Dallas (TX) Morning News, Julie Benell's Recipe,
part 2, pg. 1:
FINGER STEAK SANDWICHES
For easy eating prepare steak finger sandwiches from a steak that is
one and one-half inches thick. Brush it on both sides with garlic
butter and broil or grill over hot coals, turning several times and
brushing with garlic butter each time. When the steak reaches the
desired stage of "doneness"cut in half-inch strips, place each strip
in a hot frankfurter roll and serve.

23 June 1954, Ada (OK) Evening News, pg. 10, col. 2 ad:
JIM'S DRIVE-IN
Our Menu Features:
Charcoal Broiled Hamburgers
Fish and Chips
Steak Fingers
Shrimp
Sandwiches

24 September 1955, El Paso (TX) Prospector, pg. 7, col. 2 ad:
FIESTA DRIVE-IN THEATRE
Have You Seen Our New Cinebar?
Serving only the Finest in Foods, Southern Fried Chicken, Steak
FIngers & Jumbo Shrimp, all served with French Fries & Hot Rolls.

4 May 1957, Tucson (AZ) Daily Citizen, pg. 10, col. 1 ad:
Steak Fingers
French Fries, Garlic Toast, Boxed To Go!
95c
LUCKY WISHBONE

2 July 1957, El Paso (TX) Herald-Post, pg. 12, col. 2 ad:
Fiesta Drive In Theatre
Fiesta Snack Bar Features: Southern Fried Chicken, Tasty Steak
Fingers, Fried Jumbo Shrimp, all served with Golden Brown French
Fries, Hot Buttered Rolls, and a Donut.

19 February 1959, El Paso (TX) Herald-Post, pg. 40, col. 3 ad:
CLOCK Drive-Ins
STEAK FINGERS
Breaded Golden Brown Steak Strips, French Fries, Toasted Buttered Rolls
65c

31 March 1959, Tucson (AZ) Daily Citizen, pg. 17, col. 5:
Steak Fingers...95c
Chicken Carousel

1 July 1960, Dallas (TX) Morning News, "Recipes of the Day" by Julie
Benell, section 3, pg. 4:
STEAK FINGER SANDWICHES
Have your meat man cut filets or strips at least 1 1/2 inches thick.
Brush the meat on both sides with garlic butter and broil over the
charcoal or in the oven. When done, cut in half-inch strips, place one
or two strips on a hot frankfurter roll or a hamburger bun, and serve
plain or with a spicy barbecue sauce.

17 October 1961, Amarillo (TX) Globe-Times, pg. 12, col. 2 ad:
Steak Fingers for 75c
4 steak fingers with Hidy fries, heart of lettuce with dressing,
buttered sesame seed bun, drink and dessert.
HI-D-HO

30 October 1964, Abilene (TX) Reporter-News, pg. 12A, col. 1 ad:
Steak Fingers 73c
Kims

13 April 1966, Hobbs (NM) Daily News-Sun, pg. 6, col. 7 ad:
Steak Fingers and Shrimp Also Served in the Box.
DAIRY QUEEN

30 September 1966, Abilene (TX) Reporter-News, pg. 11C, col. 1 ad:
Steak Fingers
in a basket
69c
DAIRY QUEEN

22 January 1969, Dallas (TX) Morning News, section A, pg. 13 ad:
Steak Finger Patties
Winkin Chef Breaded… LB. 89c

12 June 1969, Dallas (TX) Morning News section E, pg. 17 ad:
Gooch - All Meat
Steak Fingers
12-oz. pkg. 79c

29 December 1972, Dallas (TX) Morning News, section C, pg. 11 ad:
DAIRY QUEEN
Steak Finger Basket
Sale only 79c
Enjoy a delicious Steak Finger Basket. Special sale Price, only 79c!!
That's Golden, Scrumptious Steakfingers, Crispy Fries, Texas Toast and
Real Country Gravy.

Google Books
Plowboys, Cowboys, and Slanted Pigs
by Jerry Flemmons
Fort Worth, TX: TCU Press
1984
Pg. 104:
For the record, Texas also invented the ice cream sundae, the
Margarita, frozen steak fingers, corn chips, stadium nachos and the
Marpeani, which is a regular martini except that the olive is replaced
by a blackeyed pea.

Google Books
Texasville
a novel by Larry McMurtry
New York, NY: Simon and Schuster
1987
Pg. 162:
The twins were slurping malts and foraging at will from a heap of
cheeseburgers, French fries, nachos, steak fingers, tacos, and other
delicacies.

Google Books
Amarillo by Morning
by Bay Matthews
New York, NY: Silhouette Books
1988
Pg. 136:
Russ smiled. "If you disregard Dairy Queen's steak fingers, they have
the only chicken-fried steak in town."

Google Books
The $100 Hamburger:
A Guide to Pilots' Favorite Fly-In Restaurants
by John F. Purner
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
1998
Pg. 282:
Andrews, TX
Buddy's Drive Inn
If you like REAL steak fingers, go to Buddy's Drive Inn. The steak
fingers are sliced from round steak fillets and deep fried to a golden
brown. The portions are huge, you WON'T go away hungry. The price is
about $6 per parson, and they have doggie bags on hand.

Google Books
Texas Road Trip
by Bryan Woolley
Fort Worth, TX: TCU Press
2004
Pg. 21:
They go for the box dinners of chicken strips, steak fingers, fried
cod, or shrimp, served with fries, a corn fritter, toast, and a
pickle.
(Sky-Vue Drive-In in Lamesa—ed.)

MyWestTexas.com
Buddy's to serve up steak fingers again
08/30/2005
By Ruth Campbell
Staff Writer
Midland Reporter-Telegram

ANDREWS—Buddy's Drive-In, temporarily closed five months ago, reopens
Wednesday with new but familiar owners.

Kelsey Robertson, grandson of Floy Robertson who co-founded the
restaurant with Minnie Coleman, and Mary Anderson, a former waitress,
have assumed ownership. The restaurant, at 106 E. Broadway in Andrews,
is named after "buddies" Robertson and Coleman.

"My grandmother was one of the original owners of the restaurant. I'm
pretty much opening it as a tribute to her and her partner," said
Robertson, who grew up at the eatery and is the nephew of former
co-owner Bonnie Duncan.

"It's something I always wanted to do. I feel like I need to do it for
my grandmother. We've got a lot of restaurants here in town serving
steak fingers, but nothing compares to what we've got," he added.

Robertson said he, friends, family and former employees spent about
two weeks cleaning and remodeling Buddy's for its re-opening.

The eatery will have about 10 employees and feature the same steak
fingers that made it famous. "We're hoping to put it back to the style
of steak fingers my mother and Minnie started with," Robertson said.
(...)
The Andrews Chamber of Commerce constantly gets calls about the
eatery's steak fingers.

Google Books
Identity Envy: Wanting to Be Who We're Not
Creative Nonfiction by Queer Writers
edited by Jim Tushinski and Jim Can Buskirk
Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press
2007
Pg. 25:
In Europe, I dream of Texas. (...) I do not dream of fried rabbit with
calf brains, roasted cingale, or petite, discrete, and oh-so-chic
gelato. My slumber binges center on Tex-Mex victuals, and I do not
mean the anemic concoctions of California, New Mexico, or Oregon. I
crave the real grub of carne guisada, pico de gallo, and chili con
carne. On the pure Tex side: steak, steak fingers, and chicken-fried
steak. Texas toast and endless iced tea. Frito Pie and Snickers Bar
Cake. Dripping saved for gravy.

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