Chicken-Fried Steak with Creamy Gravy

steps

1. Fill a cast-iron skillet halfway with melted lard. Add bacon grease and heat to 370 degrees.
2. Combine pepper and garlic salt for seasoning mix. In a large, shallow bowl, mix flour with ½ teaspoon of the seasoning mix. In another shallow bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
3. Pat steak dry and heavily season with more seasoning mix. Dredge steak in flour on both sides and tenderize with wooden meat mallet. (Seasoning and dredging before tenderizing helps seal in flavors.) Dredge tenderized steaks again in flour and shake off excess. Dip in milk mixture, allowing excess to drop off, then dredge again in flour, evenly coating so that the steak appears dry on the outside.
4. Working in batches of two or three at a time, fry steaks in oil. The oil temperature will fall upon adding steaks, so adjust burner level to maintain an oil temperature of 325 to 350 degrees. Cook steaks for 7 minutes, turning twice, until batter is crisp and brown and meat is cooked through. Use a wire skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer steaks to paper towels. Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm in a low oven while cooking remaining steaks. Top with gravy just before serving.

Creamy Gravy

In a medium pot over low heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour until smooth, approximately 5 minutes. Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Season to taste. Stir often until gravy has thickened, about 10 minutes.