Steal This Country-Fried Steak Technique From Kardea Brown

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You don't actually have to steal this down-home, country-fried steak recipe from cookbook author Kardea Brown because the celebrity chef has given it all away in a recent Instagram post. The former caterer and host of Food Network's "Delicious Miss Brown," is known for tasty Lowcountry recipes and insights into the rich history and flavors of Gullah/Geechee cuisine. If you've never tried Brown's recipes before, this is a perfect one to start on since its techniques are straightforward — with just one exception and one surprise ingredient. That exception — Brown makes her gravy before frying her country-fried steak.

While country-fried steak traditionally comes with brown gravy, Brown opts for a cream gravy, of which there are two types: White country gravy and its savory beige counterpart. Both start like all rib-sticking gravies do — with a good roux. The main difference? White country gravy doesn't include the flavorful meat drippings from cooking, while the beige version is typically made in the pan you just finished frying your meat in, sopping up all that delicious flavor. Brown goes for a black-pepper laden white country-style gravy she calls "table gravy". 

Brown starts by seasoning flour in one dredging pan with her signature mix of garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, salt and freshly ground black pepper. She whisks eggs and milk together in another pan before dredging her cube steak first in the flour then in the egg wash, and then for a second time in the flour — for "that extra bit of crunch." That's when she sets her steaks aside to make her gravy. After frying the double-dredged cube steaks, Brown plates them, topped with a generous pour of gravy and a topping of fresh parsley.

Brown's table gravy starts off with bacon drippings and chopped garlic in the roux to help gas up the flavor a bit, while still preserving that ultra-white aesthetic. As for the reveal on that big secret ingredient? Well, it's a secret so big she doesn't even dare to include it in the accompanying Food Network video. Luckily, it's listed in the written recipe: One tablespoon of dijon mustard. Brown whisks it in right at the end of cooking as part of her final seasoning process once the half and half is mixed into the flavored roux, along with salt and a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper. The gravy is then set aside, kept warm on a low heat as she begins frying her batter-dredged cube steak. The result: A meal so taste-tickling, you'll be planning a trip to the Lowcountry before you're done dabbing your mouth.