Somebody named Johnson, a name with most excellent vibrations, writes
me and says that in spite of rumors he has heard, to the effect that I
have a hired hand or two to write my stuff, he believes that I honestly
wrote all by myself an article which appeared some time ago over my
name, in which I stated I could cook round steak so that it would taste
as good as fried chicken and be as tender.
“If you are not bluffing,” he says, “you could do a world of good
to many housekeepers and stag clubs if you would print your recipe.
The writer has worn the outer coat of enamel off his teeth in a vain
attempt to make himself believe that round steak is as tender as
chicken. Give us a hand, pal.”
Hence, being called, I lay my cards down, face up, on the table, to
wit, namely and as follows:
Have the butcher cut you a round steak thin. A little thicker than a
lead pencil. He will insist on cutting it thicker, saying it will be
juicier and so on. Draw your revolver and compel him to obey you. Don’t
have the steak too thick.
After cutting the steak from the piece, have him separate it into
portions, each about the size of your hand. Don’t try to cook the steak
all in one piece. It must be in small sections, just as fried chicken
is best when each joint is cooked separately.
Have the butcher then take his sharp knife (which is much better for
the purpose than any knife you have at home, because he knows the art
of sharpening and you don’t), and criss-cross each piece, on both
sides, don’t forget. So that each piece will be in tatters, almost
ready to fall apart.
Put in the frying pan plenty of good sweet lard. Don’t use butter. It
will burn. Don’t fry in deep fat, as with doughnuts, but plenty of fat,
as with fried chicken.
Rub each portion of the raw steak in flour. Rub it in good. Drop into
the hot skillet. Cover it with lid. Keep covered. This cooks it through
and makes it tender.
Fry till a golden brown, turning once in a while. You notice the
process is exactly as with fried chicken, Southern style.
After you lift out the meat, put in the flour, let it scorch a bit,
then pour water and milk mixed into the hot grease and meat particles
left in the skillet. Just how much, you will have to find out by
experiment. Let it boil up and boil down, keep stirring, until you have
gravy of the right consistency. Flavor according to taste, with salt
and pepper, before cooking. If the result is not good it is because you
have not followed directions.
Round steak not only is cheap, but it is all good meat, with the
minimum of waste, and properly cooked it TASTES better than any part of
the beef.