Skirt in the Kitchen
It’s extra crispy, seasoned just right. It’s got the ying-yang of both worlds– spicy and a touch of sweet together in one dish. It’s country and culinary combined. The combination is a hit.
Stir 4 cups sugar into a Dutch oven of 6 cups raspberries.
Add 2 sprigs cinnamon mint if you have it; if not, without it is fine. I like how different flavors remarkably work together. Stir in squeezed and strained juice of 1 lemon.
Seed and add 1finely chopped jalapeno (medium-large in size). Cook down, skimming off the top, and continue to simmer to a calm boil stirring occasionally. When it begins to thicken, do a spoon test: Place a spoon of jelly in the freezer for 5 minutes, check it and make sure it’s the consistency desired. If not, continue cook longer, checking frequently.
Strain, only having partial seeds left in the jelly or strain through a finer sieve to eliminate all the raspberry seeds using the back of a spoon or spatula to move the jelly through the sieve until all the jelly has been run through into a smooth consistency. Discard seeds and cooked jalapeno pieces. Pour the jelly back into the Dutch oven. Stir in 1 uncooked, seeded and finely diced jalapeno and 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons Scotch whiskey. Carefully pour into sterilized jars.
I’ll only have chicken fried steak if it’s high caloric– extra-crispy because of what it’s fried in and how it’s prepared to make it scrumptious, and large to fill an entire plate smothered with gravy. Besides, I happen to eat this once or twice a year so why not have it the way I want it. I don’t bother with the small beef rounds– and I won’t cut these into smaller portions. I do mean that these are large (cubed) beef round steaks– each one perfect for its platter.
Run under cold water to rinse all sides. Pat-dry in paper towels so seasonings will adhere to the meat. Season all sides with McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning and ground cayenne pepper. There is salt in the steak seasoning.
Heavily whisk 4 eggs. After meat is covered with cornstarch, dip into eggs on both sides of meat and then take back into the cornstarch. The cornstarch holds the seasonings in place to a great degree, and it sticks under the egg as well as over the egg. It’s texture really does the job, refuses to leave the meat once it’s been put in place. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Refrigerate whisked eggs to use again on the meat right before frying.
After 30 minutes, take from the refrigerator and season again, directly on both sides– place into cake flour this time, preferably Swan’s brand. It is almost as soft as cornstarch Dredge into whisked eggs, then into cake flour again. Season one side and carefully plop the seasoned side face-down into hot melted lard in a cast iron skillet. There should be enough hot melted lard in the skillet that practically comes up to the top of the meat but does not run over the meat. It halfway deep-fries the meat with this amount of lard. This is a time when I don’t measure anything. Immediately season the side facing-up, waiting to be turned in a matter of minutes. Don’t slide once meat is down; otherwise, it will interfere with putting on a browning of crust that does not fall off the meat. Keep it in place; keep the crust in place on the meat. If you must peek, lift a small corner but you can tell around the edges, easily, when it’s ready to be turned– even without over-browning. The hot grease will slightly draw up the edges without darkening the edges. Black cast iron helps the lard work with the meat. A thick and rugged skillet seems to fry better and evenly for a crispy crust.
As soon as the meat is out of the skillet, lightly salt on both sides.
While the skillet and the lard is still hot, make the gravy. Use cake flour– It causes the gravy to be soft and you don’t have to strain the gravy before serving no eventual lumps. Some of the seasonings from frying the cubed steaks are already in the skillet; there’s no need to add anything but enough flour to roughly ball up into large particles yet having enough of a soft form of mixture. With a spatula, scrape the onset of gravy into a bowl. Deglaze the skillet with Scotch whiskey, scraping the bottom of the skillet where the best of the seasonings have resorted. Use 1/2 to 3/4 cups. This is when it smells so good, even better than the steak that was fried. Scotch smells great when it’s used for deglazing; plus, it gives the gravy a nice undertone of flavor. Spatula in place, put the gravy in its rough stage back into the skillet, whisk into the Scotch. Slowly and little by little, keep whisking while pouring in whole milk. Find the smooth consistency and thickness desired. Taste before serving over the fried meat. You may not even need to add a grain of salt; most likely, it’s already been done!
I like the jelly drizzled over the top, it seems to set it off nicely– the mild bite the saucy substance for this along with a bit of sweetness. Add a little or a lot.
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