Look for chicken-fried steak on your favorite barbecue menu
Adding Texas staple requires kitchen space and culinary know-how
In recent years, barbecue menus have expanded to add items such as specialty sandwiches, soups, fried chicken, tacos and rice bowls to the standard Texas trinity of brisket, pork ribs and sausage.
These additions reflect the many culinary influences of Houston and beyond; for instance, the introduction of tortillas and tacos as standard menu items reflects the rising influence of South Texas in the state’s smoked-meat traditions.
One menu item that has been missing from this new wave of offerings is chicken-fried steak.
To be sure, there are several barbecue joints around Houston that have always served chicken-fried steak, including Tin Roof BBQ, Harris County Smokehouse and Pappas Delta Blues. But now it’s popping up more often on craft barbecue menus, either as a permanent item or as a special.
Why the delay in adding such a staple of Texas cuisine? It is a combination of both practical and culinary considerations.
Practically, most barbecue joints don’t have room for the large, commercial fryers needed to make the classic platter-size chicken-fried steak for which Texas is known. This is starting to change.
As barbecue menus expand, so have kitchens, including at newer joints such as the Spring Branch location of Feges BBQ (known for its fried chicken) and The Woodlands location of Killen’s Barbecue (known for fried chicken and chicken-fried steak).
The other barrier is quite straightforward: It’s hard to make a consistently great chicken-fried steak.
If you are a connoisseur, like I am, there are a few boxes that have to be checked to qualify as
a Texas-worthy chicken-fried steak.
First, is the cut of meat. Like many classic Southern U.S. and Texas cuisines, chickenfried steak is born of humble origins. Traditionally, it is made from a tenderized version of less-desirable cuts, such as top round or top sirloin. This is called cube steak.
“Cube steak” refers to the indentations made in the meat from the tenderizing process.
But even when using tenderized meat, chicken-fried steak can be tough. To solve this issue, many chefs are using cuts such as rib-eye or tenderloin. As long as it is sufficiently tender, any cut works for me.
Second, is the breading or coating used for the steak. This is a flour-based crust that offers a shattery, crisp covering for the tenderized meat.
Chefs and diners are of two minds when it comes to the coating: Does it cling to the underlying meat or does it naturally separate when the steak is cut into? I’ll take it either way, as long as there isn’t too much breading compared to the amount of meat.
One Houston chef/pitmaster who has perfected the art of the chicken-fried steak is Ronnie Killen. Starting with his first restaurant, Killen’s Kountry BBQ, he has spent decades developing the recipe he now features at many of his restaurants, including Killen’s STQ, as well as his steakhouses.
At The Woodlands location of Killen’s Barbecue, chicken-fried steak is a staple. This menu expands Texas barbecue further into comfort-food territory, featuring smoked chicken wings, brisket enchiladas, fried chicken and nachos.
The chicken-fried steak plate includes tender beef with crispy crust, mashed potatoes, green beans and a classic Southernstyle cream gravy. It’s a great barbecue menu addition for anyone looking to diversify from the classic combination of brisket, pork ribs and sausage.