Beef and Sausage Sunday Sauce (Ragu) Recipe

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This is a really good recipe for a Sunday Sauce a/k/a Ragu compliments of Laura Vitale.

Recipe Ingredients

1 Medium Onion, diced

3 (28oz) Cans of Tomato Puree*

3 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 ½ Lbs Cubed Chuck Roast trimmed

1 ½ lbs Sweet Italian Sausage w/fennel, cut in half

1 cup of Beef Broth or Red Wine

Salt and Pepper, to taste

4 TBSP dried Basil, finish with fresh basil

Recipe Procedure

1) In a large pot over medium high heat, preheat the olive oil. Add the sausage and season lightly with salt and pepper, cook until brown on all sides. Remove to a bowl.

2) Add the chuck and brown. Then remove to the bowl with the browned sausage.

3) Add the chopped onions to the remaining drippings and add a bit more oil if necessary. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until they start to develop some color. Add all the meats right back in along with any accumulated juices. Add in the broth or wine and cook for 1 minute

4) Add the tomato puree along with 2 cups of water.

5) Bring to boil and reduce the heat to low, partially covered and let it slowly simmer for 4 hours or until the beef is very tender. Stir every 20 - 30 minutes with a wide wood, rubber or silicone spatula. Do not use anything that is spoon-shaped because it clearly is not designed to scrape the bottom of a pan. Add water as necessary. 


Serve over a thick pasta such as rigatoni, penne or gnocchi. 

Note: The last time I made this I used a 106 oz can of tomato sauce from Sam's and it made little difference from when I used Cento San Marzano whole tomatoes. In the future, I'll only use the "good" stuff strictly for a special marinara sauce.

Special note- if one was not enough. You will probably find that this recipe makes more sauce than you thought or intended so save the remaining sauce for another day as it will have all of those incredible flavors.  

Steak Diane - An American Classic Recipe

According to a 1948 citation, the dish was invented at the Drake Room, at 56th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan's Drake Hotel, and was named after chef Beniamino Schiavon's small daughter. I found this recipe on Foodwishes.com which Chef John renamed to Steak Pauline in memory of his late mother.

Most of the Steak Diane recipes that I reviewed used a variety of meats but most leaned towards tender high-end cuts such as beef tenderloin, rib eyes, NY Strips, etc. My recommendation is that you don't use ribeye steaks primarily because of the high-fat content that won't work well with a dish with a gravy but you're not stuck with expensive cuts of meat. I recommend top sirloin. 

Ingredients:

1 generous tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon tomato paste

pinch cayenne pepper

2 cups low-sodium or salt-free chicken broth. 

4 Tbsp teaspoons olive oil

2 (8-ounce) top sirloin, about 3/4" thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons finely minced shallots

8 ounces mushrooms 

1/4 cup Cognac or brandy

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoon sliced fresh chives (optional)

Note: Make sure the meat is labeled USDA Choice 

Procedure: 
In a very hot skillet add the olive oil and pan-fry the steaks until they are 1/2 way done. Remove to a plate.  

Turn the burner to med (add some more oil if needed) and add the shallots and mushrooms, a sprinkle of salt and saute until the mushrooms are softened. 

Carefully, add in the Cognac or brandy ensuring that you don't allow any of it to splash in your burner because of its high alcohol content. Cook for about 1 minute to cook off the alcohol. Note: Steak Diane was a very popular restaurant dish that was often prepared at the diner's table where they would ignite the brandy (flambe) making a wonderful presentation. Even though the pyrotechnics are really cool you may end up singeing your microwave oven.

Add in the chicken stock, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, stir to incorporate and bring to a boil and reduce volume by 1/2. Reduce the heat to low and add the heavy cream, stir to combine.

Once thick, return the steak and its juices to the pan and reduce the temp to low. Simmer until the steak is cooked to your level of doneness.

Plate the steaks and spoon copious amounts of the gravy onto steaks. 

That's it!  

Here is Chef John's procedural video:

Emerils Chili and Cornbread Muffin Recipe

This is a recipe from Emeril that I had to adapt for a couple of reasons. One is that I had his recipe from quite a while back that differs from the one posted on his website. Secondly, I found that the measurements of some of the spices were lacking so I increased them according to my preference. I suggest that you do the same.

Ingredients: 
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups chopped onions

Salt

Cayenne

3 pounds beef chuck roast cut into small cubes

4 tablespoons chili powder

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp dried oregano

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

One 28 ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cups beef stock

2 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (optional)

If not using beans consider adding 1 more Lb. meat to the recipe.

2 tablespoons masa flour or Wondra to thicken the gravy mixed in 4

tablespoons water

Procedure: 
In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute until the vegetables start to wilt, 3 to 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and cayenne.

Stir in the stew meat, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, and oregano. Brown the meat for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, and beans. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the liquid, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Skim any fat that comes to the surface.

Mix the masa and water together. Slowly stir in the masa slurry and continue to cook until the chili is thick and flavorful, about 30 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and cayenne.

Adjust spices according to your preference.

Optional: Garnish with the grated cheese, sour cream and jalapenos.

Here is a really good cornbread recipe.

Enjoy! 

Barr's Texas BBQ Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Cups apple cider vinegar
3 Cups water
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup honey
1/4 Cup yellow mustard such as French's
2 Tsp black pepper
2 Lemons (juice of) or 6 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
4 Clove garlic minced
1/4 Cup freeze-dried or 1 1/2 cups diced onion
1/2 Stick butter
1/4 Tsp cayenne
1/4 Cup chili powder
2 Tbsp table salt
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp paprika

5 Cups (40 ounces) of store brand ketchup
3 Tbsp Worchester sauce
1/4 Cup liquid smoke

Procedure:
Combine all of the ingredients in the first group of ingredients a large pot and stir to combine at medium heat to dissolve the sugar and until the onions are tender. About 20 minutes.

Add 5 cups (40 ounces) store brand ketchup, 3 Tbsp Worchestire sauce and 1/4 cup of liquid smoke.

Stir well and bring to a boil and then back off and simmer for about 45 minutes stirring frequently. Let stand to cool.

For best results once at room temp put the pot in the fridge overnight.

If my memory serves me right, this recipe makes about a gallon of sauce and it freezes very well although it really doesn't freeze solid.   

Amazing Beef Short Ribs with Baby Bella Mushrooms Recipe

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8 ounces Baby Bella (Crimini) mushrooms

3 pounds meaty lean beef short ribs (see photo below) 

salt and freshly ground black pepper 

2 tbsp olive oil (not Virgin) 

1 onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups beef broth

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of cayenne

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried thyme or rosemary 

1 cup Merlot 

Salt and pepper the ribs and brown on all sides in a steel frying pan with 2 Tbsp veggie oil. Place the browned ribs in a dutch oven.

Slice one med onion, peel the garlic and trim and quarter the mushrooms. Put the onion into the frying pan cook for a few minutes and then toss in the garlic for 30 seconds before adding the mushrooms. Cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring often and then add the wine. 

Reduce the wine by 50 percent, then add the tomato sauce, beef broth, Thyme and bay leaf. Pour mixture over the ribs in the dutch oven and cover.

Cook in a preheated 325 degree oven for 2 hours. Remove pot from oven and test the rib meat for doneness. If the bones have separated from the meat then it's more than likely that the ribs are incredibly tender. If not using a sharp knife pierce one of the ribs. If the knife passes through with little to no resistance they're done. If not return the pot to the oven and cook a bit longer.

When finished cooking transfer the ribs to a bowl or plate. Skim off any grease that accumulates on top of the gravy and check for flavor. Add salt, pepper or a bit more Thyme or Rosemary to suit your taste. 

If the gravy is too thin for your liking mix a couple tbsp of cornstarch in about the same amount of cold water. Add in the mixture a little at a time all the while stirring the gravy until it reaches the desired thickness. Or you can add a few pieces of beurre manie (my choice). 

Note: the cornstarch and water mixture does not have to be tempered with the hot gravy nor does the Beurre Manie.  

Serve over mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles. 

Suggestion: I don't see why the ribs couldn't be replaced with similar sized chunks of chuck roast but under no circumstance use stew meat! 

Enjoy! 

If you can find short ribs that look like these you're in business. Accept nothing less. 

   
     

Italian Meatball Recipe

1 pound ground beef - 80/20

1 pound ground pork

1/3 plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

1 diced onion

2 Tbs olive oil

3-4 cloves crushed garlic

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 tbsp dried parsley 

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp red cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried Italian Seasoning 

In a bowl, mix the bread crumbs in the milk and let stand for 20 minutes, and then mix once again.  

Lightly saute the onions in the olive oil.

Mix all of the ingredients except for the meat into a paste. Then add in the meat and mix gently with a large spoon until well combined. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Roll into 2 inch balls and place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425 degrees oven for 20 minutes or until done. 

Simmer with your favorite tomato sauce for about an hour.  

For a video of this recipe go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220854/chef-johns-italian-meatballs/

Green Peppers Stuffed with Beef and Rice Recipe

The Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 cup beef broth
2 cups prepared marinara sauce or other tomato sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional

The Peppers:

1 pound lean ground beef

1/4 Lb. Italian bulk pork sausage 

2 cups cooked rice
1 cup finely grated good-quality" Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley or (2 Tbsp Dried)

4 cloves garlic, minced very fine
1 can 10-oz Mild diced tomatoes w/green chilies
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 large green bell peppers

Brown the onions in olive oil and reserve 1/2 of them. Add in beef broth, marinara sauce, vinegar, and hot pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine and pour into a deep baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, add the meat cheese, garlic diced tomatoes, parsley, and the reserved onion. Stir to combine with a large spoon or mix by hand. Now mix in the cooked rice and cheese.

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, clean each half of the seeds and pith and pack tightly with the meat and rice mixture.

Place the peppers in the baking dish on top of the sauce, sprinkle some additional Parmesan on the tops of each pepper and cover with aluminum foil.

In a preheated 375-degree oven bake for 45 minutes. Then remove the cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Remove the peppers to serving plates. Spoon the sauce from the baking dish over the peppers and...

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Chef John's Recipe

Hot Dog - The Legendary Tubesteak

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Nothing screams "America" more than baseball and hot dogs so in celebration of Independence Day 2015, I make this culinary tribute to the legendary tubesteak. 

You may have to ponder the many choices of toppings such as yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard or chili and cheese.  But life's too short for compromise so I went with them all on not one, but two, four ounce - 11 inch Schickhaus dogs.

Enjoy your Independence Day!  






  

Great Homemade Burgers

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When was the last time you made a really "great" burger at home from either a frying pan or your backyard grill?  Well, probably never.  What I suspect is that you have been trying to make a great burger from the mystery meat sold at your local grocery store and incorporating a bunch of unnecessary ingredients to the meat just to make it taste good.  And beyond the meat, I bet your technique has contributed greatly to maybe an okay burger but not one that comes close to rivaling the ones that you have had at a decent restaurant.  And I don't mean Burger chains!

Well, it's not all that difficult to make juicy and tender burger at home and I will explain.

There is no better beef than freshly ground beef.  And to do this you will need a meat grinder and a chuck roast.  That's about it.  Or, you can buy a chuck roast and ask the butcher to grind it for you.  That said, I suggest that you wait until they are on sale or buy a nice USDA Choice Chuck Roast from Sam's Club, Costco or the like.  

After you grind the beef, make sure that you distribute the fat evenly throughout.  The most important recommendation that I can make is to make sure that you handle the ground beef as little as possible.  Over handling ground beef will make it tough.  Also, home-ground beef does not resemble the stuff that you buy in the grocery store.  For instance, the grinding plate that I use is perfect for everything from burgers, to ravioli filling, to Italian meatballs, etc.  But you may like a different grind.  

When forming burgers, gently, but firmly form the meat into patties that are a bit larger than the diameter of your bun. I suggest that you do not smooth the surfaces of your burger until they resemble a hockey puck.  In a perfect world you would want your burger to have nooks, crannies and rough edges that crisp up during the cooking process which add a wonderful flavor.  Besides, they provide a nice place for your topping, such as cheese, to reside.  

Also, I think that taking burgers directly out of the refrigerator and onto the cooking surface choice is a better way than cooking them at room temperature.  The reason that I say this is that what I'm looking for in a great burger is a nice crispy flavorful exterior with a tender and juicy interior and a longer cooking time provides this important dimension.   

Important Note: Because home-ground meat is very "loose" vice the glob that you are probably accustomed to, extra care must be given on the grill or in the frying pan.  That said, once you have laid the burger on the cooking surface do not, repeat, do not make any attempt to move the burger until it no longer sticks to the cooking surface.  This is usually when the burger is close to being fully-cooked on the first side.  

I know that there has been a lot of of talk about applying a salty seasoning on your burger.  It has been my experience that it will serve you well if you season the meat with salt and pepper before you form the burgers.  I say this because applying seasonings on a burger is completely different than seasoning a steak since you are probably going to add a few condiments that already contain a degree of sodium.    

Pot Roast (Braised) Recipe

Cooking a wonderfully juicy and powerfully flavored pot roast is quite easy. And what makes it such a great holiday choice is that you can make it a day ahead and it will be even better better when served the next.  See note below.

Ingredients:

Beef Chuck Roast – you decide on the weight but at least 3 lbs.
3 Tbsp veggie oil
Water
3 Tbsp Beef Stock or Beef Base (I prefer Better Than Bouillon brand)
3 Bay leaves
4 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup carrots (in 3 inch lengths)
2 large onions (quartered)
Potatoes 
1 lb mushrooms

Butter
Flour 
Rice or wide egg noodles

The Process:

Add the veggie oil to a large high sided deep pan and brown the roast well on all 4 sides at high heat. 

Add the beef stock with the garlic (can't have too much), bay leaves and mushrooms until the stock reaches 2/3 way to the top of the roast.

Cover with the tight fitting lid and/or foil and place in a preheated oven at 325 degrees.  After 2 hours, top the meat with your veggies.

Return to the oven covered and about 1 hour later. When the blade of a knife slides easily through the meat with no resistance remove from the oven and place it on a cutting board and cover it loosely foil. Remove the carrots, onions and potatoes to a bowl. Using a slotted spoon strain out the mushrooms and set aside separate from the other veggies. 

Let the fat rise to the top of the broth in the pan and skim. One way to skim the fat from the broth is to place paper towels on the top of the broth to soak-up the fat that floats to the top. Remove the grease soaked paper towels with tongs. Or you could just spoon off the fat and discard.  

In a separate pan, melt butter and a corresponding amount of flour and make a blond roux as a thickening agent. Introduce the cooked broth to make your gravy. Once the gravy has been prepared add the mushrooms. 

Plate the beef and veggies or serve over rice or wide egg noodles. 

Enjoy!

Swedish Meat Balls

SWEDISH MEAT BALLS

2- LB GROUND BEEF
4 tsp CHOPPED ONION
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1- 1/3 cup milk
2 tsp brown sugar
salt, pepper, allspice and nutmeg
Flour, veg oil
2 cups milk, light cream or chicken bouillon

Combine the first 6 ingredients; add 2 tsp salt, ¼ tsp each of the pepper and allspice and ½ tsp nutmeg. Mixture will be moist.

Shape into small balls and roll in flour and then brown well in a small amount of oil.

Remove the balls and add liquid.

Mix 1-1/4 TBS flour with 1 cup flour stirring until thick

Add 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.

Place back in the balls and cover and cook slowly for 15 minutes.

Remove the balls, spoon the fat from the gravy and thin with a little water if necessary.

Replace the balls, reheat and adjust spices.

Serve over egg noodles.

Great BBQ

This 10 pound brisket was cooked for a total of 12 hours with hickory wood and I'm here to tell you neither teeth nor sauce were required to enjoy this tender and flavorful piece of meat.

My recommendation for the backyard smoker or someone who wants to make the best BBQ on the planet (I'm not sure which one but sounds impressive) is to buy the Weber Mountain Smokey Model 721001. I have been smoking meats ever since I left Texas, long enough to know the difference between a really good smoker and an inferior one. Actually, these are used by BBQers on the competition circuit.

Don't waste your time or money on one of those $175.00 smokers that you find in places like Home Depot or the like. They are not up to the task and you will most probably never achieve anything close to perfection; I know from personal experience. And if you think that you need a $1,000 or more smoker, think again. The added cost is not necessary unless you  need to smoke meat in very cold conditions. But for the majority of us, the Weber is all that you will ever need to produce championship quality BBQ for less than $300 (delivered from Amazon.com) and at the end of the day, this is what is all about.

http://www.amazon.com/Weber-721001-Smokey-Mountain-Cooker/dp/B001I8ZTJ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1247518263&sr=8-1

Personally, I like to layer of  briquettes and wood. One good solid base layer of briquettes, then some wood, and then another layer of charcoal and then a few chunks of wood on top. Do NOT use charcoal because it will burn way too too hot.

I say that one of the key requirements for great BBQ is a steady temp of about 225 - 250 degrees on the temp gauge of your smoker and again, that nice even consistent stream of smoke flowing from the top vents that should ALWAYS remain open. Monitor the temp and adjust lower dampers accordingly.

A digital thermometer is critical to good BBQ. Feed the probe down through a top vent and stick the probe in the thickest part of the meat, close the lid, attach the probe to the thermometer.

DO DOT OPEN THE LID TO SEE HOW YOUR BBQ LOOKS...NO MATTER HOW TEMPTING IT MAY BE. Remember, the difference between okay BBQ and great BBQ is a steady temp. Every time you lift the lid you lose that edge and increase your cooking temp. The only time that you should open the lid is to either put meat in or take it off.

Note: It is my opinion that most meats absorb most of the smoke that they are going to after the first hour or maybe 1 1/2 hours. After that you're wasting wood and your meat won't taste good, not at all. 

What is a brisket? Flat/point, high fat content.Trim well

A brisket will take at least 12 hours for a 10 lb. flat cut. Place the prepared brisket on the lower rack and stabilize the temp to about 220-250 degrees based on the temp gauge on the lid and monitor the internal temp with the digital probe. They are done when they reach between 198 and 205 degrees

Here is another way I do things that differs than many. I like to BBQ my brisket at least the day before eating. I let it rest and cool to room temp and then refrigerate it. The next day, I slice it (across the grain)and warm it in the microwave. It carves easier than when hot and you can be assured that all of the juices will be rendered back into the meat after it has cooled making for a juicier end result. Let's be real...after cooking for 12 hours it's time for a tuna sandwich and bed. Better left for the next day.

As for pork or beef ribs use a rib rack. Smoker real estate does not come cheap so maximize your cooking area the best you can. As far as eating ribs I hold the minority opinion in that the meat should not be falling off the bone. I like a little bite and a little bit of a chew. Not much mine you, but enough where the meat will stay on the rib as you are holding and eating it. But this is my preference. It's kinda like Fillet Mignon vs. a rib-eye steak...gum it or chew it. Unfortunately, I think too many people rate BBQ pork/beef ribs by the fall-off the bone criteria. These should take about  about 4-5 hours.

Smoking whole chickens is a breeze. Season them with whatever you like making sure to season the cavity even more than the skin. Set your digital therm to 160 and stick the probe into the thickest part of a thigh or breast. They are practically impossible to mess up unless you over smoke them.

Note: Please remember to place only room temp meat on your smoker. To prepare the meat just rub on your favorite spice mix, no mopping is EVER required...remember the keep the lid closed rule?

Additionally, forgot to mention that I once cooked 8 whole chickens; and another time I cooked a 10 lb brisket and 4 chickens on my 721001 Model Weber. But to up the ante, they have a larger 22" model, the 731001 that costs less than $400.00 that can cook enough for a small army!

For pork/chicken BBQ I use Jake's Boss BBQ rub that you have to make (well worth the trouble) or Bad Byron's Pork Butt seasoning available online or in some stores. For brisket/beef ribs I use  Coopers "original" spice rub from Llano, TX  that can be purchased online.

I hope that you benefit from this article in your quest to make great BBQ.

Block Party Beans Recipe

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2 Lbs lean ground beef

2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery stalk
1 can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup ketchup
1 can pork and beans
1 can chili beans
1 can Great Northern beans
1 can black beans
1 can cut green beans, drained
1 can cut wax beans, drained
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
3 strips bacon cut in small pieces (optional)

Brown beef in a large skillet and drain. Then fry the bacon pieces and drain leaving 2 Tbsp of the grease. 

Add the onions, and celery and saute until tender. 

In large deep casserole pan or dutch oven, combine all the ingredients. Stir well to combine all ingredients, simmer for 20 minutes.

Then place in oven uncovered at 350 degrees for about one hour. Great for picnics or pot lucks.

It is at its best if refrigerated overnight and then gently reheated the next day before eating. Trust me on this...it's really, really good!

Chicken Fried Steak (Cooks)

Serves 6. Published February 1, 2005.

Getting the initial oil temperature to 375 degrees is key to the success of this recipe. An instant-read thermometer with a high upper range is perfect for checking the temperature; a clip-on candy/deep-fry thermometer is also fine. If your Dutch oven measures 11 inches across (as ours does), you will need to fry the steaks in two batches.

Ingredients

Steak
3	cups unbleached all-purpose flour
	Table salt and ground black pepper
1/8	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	large egg
1	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1	cup buttermilk
6	cube steaks , about 5 ounces each, pounded to 1/3 inch thickness
4 - 5	cups peanut oil
Cream Gravy
1	medium onion , minced
1/8	teaspoon dried thyme
2	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press
3	tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2	cup low-sodium chicken broth
2	cups whole milk
3/4	teaspoon table salt
1/4	teaspoon ground black pepper
	cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. 1. For the steaks: Measure the flour, 5 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne into a large shallow dish. In a second large shallow dish, beat the egg, baking powder, and baking soda; stir in the buttermilk (the mixture will bubble and foam).

2. 2. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper to taste. Drop the steaks into the flour and shake the pan to coat. Shake excess flour from each steak, then, using tongs, dip the steaks into the egg mixture, turning to coat well and allowing the excess to drip off. Coat the steaks with flour again, shake off the excess, and place them on the wire rack.

3. 3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, set a second wire rack over a second rimmed baking sheet, and place the sheet on the oven rack; heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels. Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of oil in a large (11-inch diameter) Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place three steaks in the oil and fry, turning once, until deep golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes (oil temperature will drop to around 335 degrees). Transfer the steaks to the paper towel-lined plate to drain, then transfer them to the wire rack in the oven. Bring the oil back to 375 degrees and repeat the cooking and draining process (use fresh paper towels) with the three remaining steaks.

4. 4. For the gravy: Carefully pour the hot oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot. Return the browned bits from the strainer along with 2 tablespoons of frying oil back to the Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium, add the onion and thyme, and cook until the onion has softened and is beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the flour to the pan and stir until well combined and starting to dissolve, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the milk, salt, pepper, and cayenne; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until thickened (gravy should have a loose consistency—it will thicken as it cools), about 5 minutes.

5. 5. Transfer the chicken-fried steaks to individual plates. Spoon a generous amount of gravy over each steak. Serve immediately, placing any remaining gravy in a small bowl.