Chicken Fried [Venison] Steaks

This was serendipitously good. Venison is too chewy in my opinion to be enjoyed like a steak since it is so lean. This is why I planned to do something similar to my Parmesan Chicken with them. However, I was surprised at how tender they were and how well this turned out. I attribute it to the stellar performance of my new discovery, McCormick's Grill Mates. They have a variety of steak rub-esque selections and come with a marinade recipe on the side. I thought, why not. I bought a few varieties originally to try with chicken breasts; since I'm ready to venture out from Taylor's favorite Stubb's Marinade. And figured I could try tossing them with vegetables before roasting as well. So this isn't a rock star recipe...mostly I wanted to pay tribute to the Grill Mate's solid performance. When one endeavors to cook something edible nearly every night, savory shortcuts are always welcome.

One more recommendation. If you're using stainless cookware (as opposed to non-stick). I recommend using one pan large enough to pan fry all of these at once or using two pans. I have never had much success doing multiple batches of this type of thing in the same skillet without lots of scraping and still seemingly unavoidable baked-on residue.

meet the shortcut stars.

Actually one more recommendation. This is a messy endeavor. I've found the mess is minimized buy using rimmed bowls or, more candidly, those perfectly sandwich sized square tupperware for the flour, egg and breading "stations" respectively. Furthermore, tongs also really help avoid smattering eggy - floury - bready crumbs all over the kitchen. That probably could have gone unsaid. Wouldn't you like to think. But this is the first time I used tongs for all this breading and was actually able to sautee my spinach simultaneously without dousing the handle of my pot in goo.

Pan Fried Venison Steaks
INGREDIENTS
6 4oz Venison Fillets
marinade of choice (or see mine below)
1 c. bread crumbs
2 T. Grill Mates Seasoning or herb of choice such as thyme or simply fresh cracked pepper
3/4 c. flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. butter
olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Add marinade to large freezer bag and place fillets inside, with bag sealed, gently mix fillets with marinade from the outside with hands while rubbing it in and tenderizing. Marinate fillets for 4-6 hours.

Coat each fillet with flour, then egg, then breading. While battering, heat large skillet or flat bottomed sauce pan with with lid over medium low heat (a 3 on my range). Add 1 T. butter and allow to coat bottom of pan. Add steaks as soon as butter is completely melted. Cover and cook on low/medium about 6 minutes per side or until juices run clear when lightly pressed. I've found I can finalize the crunchy coating at the very end by increasing the heat slightly and flipping once more to each side, about a minute each. Should be very slightly pink in the middle and will cook themselves a bit more once removed.

My Nothing Special Marinade
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. Seasoning (such as Grill Mates Garlic and Herb)In case you're a purist, I don't think these are really "chicken fried" since I think that involves a deep frier. Hence the title schizophrenia. However, they are reminiscent of those big ol' chicken fried steaks from some small town Texas diner. I recommend mashed potatoes with these, or maybe even homemade macaroni and cheese which I'm considering trying soon. Stay tuned.

Isn't my picture appetizing? Hm. Probably not unless you're a high school football player. I realized I'd been depriving my faithful readers of savory pictures so I grabbed the camera and documented this lovely dish. For your loyal readership, I give you beautifully photogenic fried steaks.