Country-fried steak, also known as chicken-fried steak, is most likely an adaptation of Wiener schnitzel which is traditionally made with veal or pork in Europe.  Venison steaks or chops are delicious prepared this way by being pounded thin, breaded, pan fried, and served with a tasty gravy.  The following recipe makes an easy gravy and one-pan version of this classic dish.

Ingredients:

• 1lb venison
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (or regular)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup cream (half & half)
• (optional: 2 Tbsp. red wine or beef broth, 1 minced shallot, sliced mushrooms)
• parsley for garnish

Directions:

Remove visible fat, sinew, and silver skin from the venison steaks or chops.  Pound venison with a meat mallet to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Place venison in a brine (1 qt. water, 1-2 Tbsp. kosher salt which dissolves better than table salt, maybe a few slices of onion or crushed garlic clove, a few black peppercorns, and a sprig of parsley) while you get your other ingredients started or soak for a few hours in the refrigerator if your steak is from an older buck.  I often defrost my steaks in a brine, and after pounding them thin, can slip them back into that brining water until I’m ready for the next step.

Place flour on deep plate or shallow pie-plate type dish and mix in the pepper, paprika, and salt.

In a separate bowl mix the egg and milk together.

Remove the steaks from the brine and lightly pat dry with a paper towel.  Coat the steak pieces lightly with the flour mix, then dip in the egg mix, and then another coating of the flour mix. Gently set on a plate until all of the venison pieces have been “floured” or coated this way.  This will help that crispy coating stay attached to your steak when it’s pan fried.

Heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat in a cast iron skillet or other sturdy large fry pan.  Pan fry the breaded venison steaks in a single layer about 3 minutes per side until golden brown.  Carefully transfer the steaks to a plate until all of the meat has been pan fried.

To make a simple, traditional white gravy, simply add 1/2 cup of light cream to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrap up any browned bits of flour.  Stir and gently simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened.  Taste and season with more black pepper if desired. Nestle the meat back into the gravy, heat, and serve with the pan gravy and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Another gravy option would be to add chopped shallot and sliced mushrooms to the pan after the meat has been cooked.  Sauté for a few minutes.  Add 2 Tbsp. of red wine or beef stock to the pan and scrap up any browned bits from the bottom.   Cook a minute or 2 and then turn down the heat to medium and add the cream, stirring constantly.  Thicken for a couple minutes and then nestle the venison steaks back into the gravy and heat through. Serve with pan gravy and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.