Happy Chicken Fried Steak Day!
We love a holiday based on food. Texas is celebrating the greatness of chicken fried steak today (Thursday, October 26th), and that makes us wonder where you're gettin' yours. Some of these places serve up chicken fried steaks that are bigger than our heads!
Chicken fried steak gets its name not from the meat, but from the process. Wikipedia describes it as a piece of tenderized cube steak coated with seasoned flour and pan-fried. The cooking method is kinda like the one used for regular old fried chicken, and that's why this steak is referred to as "chicken fried."
Now that we've got that out of the way, how did this amazing and necessary holiday get its start anyway? This will be the third annual Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day, started by BigInk PR & Marketing's Founder and CEO, Jeffrey Yarbrough. He's credited with making Chicken Fried Steak Day a Texas Holiday after getting the attention of a state lawmaker, who agreed that this crispy and savory little number needed a day of honor. Now the only thing to decide on is where to get the best one.
WideOpenEats.com has ideas about the 10 Best Chicken Fried Steaks in Texas, and while they sound good, none of them are in East Texas. We're sure that Pappy's Cafe in Houston serves up a great chicken fried steak and all, but can it top Mom's Diner?
Yelp suggests that you'll find the best chicken fried steak in Lufkin at one of these places:
Mom's Diner
Cotton Patch
Lonestar Charlie's
Hole in One
Manhattan Fine Dining
Maybe we should try them all today while we're celebrating.
What makes a great chicken fried steak? Is it the seasoning? The gravy? The size? Eating a breaded and fried cutlet that equals the circumference of the plate is a right of passage in Texas. And today we celebrate that.
Happy Chicken Fried Steak Day, and may tomorrow not be known as indigestion day. This will be fun!