Why Texans Love Chicken Fried Steak
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In 2011, the State of Texas passed a resolution declaring October 26th to be Chicken (how long does chicken last?) Fried Steak Day.
“Texans are renowned for their love of chicken fried steak, that exceptional dish that elevates the hearty flavor of beef to new heights by coating it in batter and breading and frying it until the ingredients are melded in a blissful union,” reads the resolution.
This statement goes to show that chicken fried steak is a unique cultural icon, playing a particularly special role in the culinary history of the Lone Star State.
It’s safe to say that chicken fried steak is not an original Texas recipe. Nevertheless, a number of food historians have traced the origins of the dish back to the 19th century and the arrival of European immigrants into the state.
Encouraged by the large expanse of the frontier, a sizable German migrant population settled in South Texas, from Houston and Galveston in the East, to Kerrville, Mason and Hondo in the West. This area, known as the “German Belt”, reflected the culture – and most importantly for us, the cuisine – of the new settlers.
Many historians have tried to link chicken fried steak to a popular German/Austrian dish, the Wiener schnitzel. This Viennese speciality consists of a thin, breaded slice of veal deep fried in lard or butter. According to one theory, veal was never a popular meat among Texans, which led to the German settlers using beef as there was (and still is!) an abundance of cattle in the state.
On the other hand, other food historians say that chicken fried steak is similar to pan-fried steak, a favorite among Texas cowboys who would prepare the dish while working in the plains.
The modern-day version of chicken fried steak, however, is said to be a Midwestern recipe originating in Colorado and/or Kansas. This dish became hugely popular in Texas in the 1960s and 1970s.
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My Version of Chicken Fried Steak
Like most Texans, I love a large hunk of chicken fried steak. So much so that I’ve managed to come up with my own home-style version, which has become a family favorite for Sunday lunch.
I use sirloin tips for my chicken fried steaks, as the meat is both tender and full of flavor. I coat a few pounded steaks with my special seasoning made up of cornstarch (how long does cornstarch last?), buttermilk, paprika, black pepper, salt, onion powder (how long does onion powder last?), garlic powder, (how long does garlic powder last?) and cayenne pepper.
I then serve the steak with a nice, creamy gravy. All I do is whisk up some flour (how long does flour last?), milk, and pepper – simple but delicious!
An American Tradition
In the late 1800s, an early version of the chicken fried steak would have been a regular staple in many American homes. Pan-frying was a popular method of cooking as it took a shorter amount of time to prepare a dish in comparison to grilling or barbecue, which were often long and tedious activities.
Instead of waiting for their meat to be cooked over glowing coals, people would instead put an iron pan over the coals, and fry their meat using butter to lubricate their pan.
However, fried steak was not embraced by many. It was bashed by food critics as being “hard and tasteless” and even “indigestible”. Luckily, some never gave up on the dish and sought ways to improve it, such as by pounding the meat, seasoning it with salt and pepper, or coating it with flour.
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The Legacy of Dr. AW Chase
Dr. Alvin Wood Chase or AW Chase (1817–1885) was a medical doctor who wrote books on home remedies and recipes.
His books were best-sellers and have been handed down to many generations of Americans long after his death in 1885.
In one of his publications, he offers a suggestion on how to improve the much-criticized pan-fried steak. He recommends that after the steak has been pounded and seasoned, it should be rolled in finely crushed cracker crumbs, with the coated meat then being browned quickly in butter.
His recommendation transformed the leathery fried steak into a palatable alternative to its broiled or grilled counterparts.
Dr. Chase’s advice perhaps gave birth to the newest incarnation of the chicken fried steak. And in the early 1900s, several restaurants in the Midwest began to offer this breadcrumb-coated dish.
In 1914, the name “chicken fried steak” appeared in newspaper ads for the Phelps Dining Room and Cafeteria in Colorado. Three years later, several restaurants and cafes in Kansas were running printed advertisements of this chicken-fried dish.
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Texas Grows to Love the Chicken Fried Steak
The popularity of chicken fried steak quickly reached the Great Plains, with the dish’s fame going on to spread to Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and even as far as California.
The first mention of a chicken fried steak in Texas was recorded in 1932. Though years before that, the dish had already taken root in the Lone Star State.
It was the 1930s and 40s that saw the chicken fried steak becoming a highly popular meal. In fact, during this time, it ranked third among the top 10 favorite restaurant dishes compiled by the National Restaurant Association.
By the 1960s, however, European gourmet foods had become all the rage in America. The Texas culinary landscape had become influenced by European haute cuisine, and home-style dishes began to lose their appeal.
With American preferences for European cuisine, the all-American chicken fried steak was deemed to be a low-brow cuisine. Purveyors of fine dining found the steak to be unnecessary in the advancement of the American palate.
But things started to change in the 1970s, as many Americans began to long for the familiar home-cooking they had grown up with. This meant less demand for pretentious European fine dining with hard-to-pronounce names. Forget the hors d’oeuvres, the chicken fried steak was back!
This chicken fried steak “revival” can be traced back, at least in part, to a Sports Illustrated writer by the name of Dan Jenkins. In his super popular comic novel “Semi-Tough”, published in 1975, Jenkin tells a story about a Texan football star who plays in professional leagues in New York City. The dish mentions chicken fried steak multiple times in the novel.
“Semi-Tough” became an accidental promotional platform for the dish, with a film being made of the book later in the 1970s.
By the 1980s, the chicken fried steak had become a genuine culinary symbol of Texas, as locals celebrated familiar, home-cooked meals (how long do cooked meals last?) rather than exotic, “foreign” dishes.
Official government recognition came when Chicken Fried Steak Day was established in Texas on October 26, 2011, to be celebrated on the same date every year. This symbolic event recognizes the dish as an official icon of Texas cuisine.
“This signature dish occupies a special place in the culinary culture of the Lone Star State, and Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day provides a welcome opportunity to pay homage to that shared legacy…” reads part of the resolution.
According to figures from the Texas Restaurant Association, it’s estimated that 800,000 chicken fried steaks are ordered every day in restaurants, cafes, and other food establishments across the state. Though it must be emphasized that these figures don’t include the huge number of chicken fried steaks prepared by Texans in their home kitchens!
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The CFS: A Texas Love Story
For me, heaven is a small dinner get-together with friends and a juicy, home-prepared chicken fried steak sat in front of me. And a glass of pinot noir just tops it all off.
Like me and my pals, Texans love to bond over food. It’s a love language – a sign of kindness, care, and gratitude.
That’s why on special occasions such as house dinners, I recommend preparing a shared favorite such as the chicken fried steak, as it’s easy to prepare, hugely flavorful, and a beloved comfort food.
Despite the influx of fine European cuisine in the 1960s, the Chicken-Fried Steak survived. And it has since grown to become a state icon of American, and in particular Texas, dining.
Some historians believe that the dish was brought over to the US by German settlers. I like this narrative, as it emphasizes our strong state heritage – one that speaks of diversity, and illustrates how the Lone Star State is a tremendous melting pot of cultures united by a proud Texas identity.
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