Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 4
Steak
4 thinly sliced (⅜-inch) ribeye steaks
2 teaspoons blackened seasoning
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil, for frying
Gravy
2 tablespoons pan drippings
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh coarsely ground black pepper
Cut off excess fat around the edges of the steaks. Using a meat mallet, pound steaks on both sides until thin and tenderized. Season generously with blackened seasoning. In a shallow bowl, add buttermilk and allow steaks to marinate for 30–60 minutes. Add flour to another shallow pan. Shake off excess buttermilk from steaks and dredge in flour on both sides, patting flour firmly onto steaks to help it stick. (If you prefer the steaks extra crispy, dip again into buttermilk and dredge a second time in flour.) Place steaks on a rack and set aside.
In a cast-iron skillet, add ½ inch of oil and heat to 350 F. Working in batches, cook steaks until golden brown on each side, 3–4 minutes. Repeat until all steaks are cooked. Remove to a rack or large platter and keep warm.
To make the gravy, remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from skillet. Increase heat to medium-high. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add milk and continue to whisk vigorously until gravy starts to boil slightly. Reduce temperature to medium-low and let gravy continue to cook until it thickens to desired consistency, 6–8 minutes. (If gravy is too thick, add milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency. If too thin, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.) Add salt and pepper and stir well. Serve over warm steaks with mashed potatoes or vegetables.
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Easy diner-style mashed potatoes
SERVES 4
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes or russets, peeled and quartered
1 clove garlic, smashed (optional)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup half-and-half or milk, warmed
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Additional unsalted butter (optional)
Chopped chives, for garnish
Place potatoes in a large saucepan of cold, salted water, covered by one inch. Add the garlic clove and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return to the pan for 1–2 minutes. This removes the excess moisture from the potatoes. Discard the garlic clove.
Add the butter to the potatoes and mash using a potato masher. Slowly pour in warmed milk and continue mashing until reaching desired consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper and stir to combine thoroughly. Transfer to a serving bowl and add additional butter on top if desired. Garnish with chives.
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What’s cooking at SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda
Turn your kitchen into your favorite diner with these comfort food recipes—Blue plate specials conjure up memories of diner-style comfort food at its best. Easy, yummy and affordable—and at the heart of it all was a big helping of mashed potatoes cooked and seasoned to perfection.