Classic Chicken Fried Steak

 A truly awesome family favorite, this is a classic that everybody loves!

1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk (or milk+1 tsp vinegar, stir and let sit for 5 min)
salt & pepper & garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I prefer Panko style)
2 medium sized beef cutlets, hand tenderized (just pound with a mallet for a while)
vegetable oil for frying

Preheat oil in large pan or deep fryer.
Stir together egg, buttermilk, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
In seperate bowl, blend together flour and bread crumbs. I like to season the flour mixture with salt, pepper and garlic as well.
Batter steaks by first dipping in flour, then egg, then flour again, coating well.
Place steaks into hot oil and fry until it turns golden brown. If doing in a pan, don't have the heat too high or else the batter will burn before the steaks get done in the middle!
Remove and drain well. Serve with gravy on top!

For gravy:
1/2 cup reserved drippings
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
I usually drain most of the oil out of the pan, leaving behind about 1/2 cup oil and all the little crunchies from frying the steaks.
Gradually add the flour to the hot oil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
Slowly add the milk in small amounts, stirring fast and well to prevent clumping.
The secret to smooth gravy is don't stop stirring!
Keep stirring until it's nice and smooth and well mixed.
Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
If gravy gets too thick, stir in some more milk in small amounts until it's the desired thickness.