Steak Fingers with Roasted Jalapeno Cream Gravy

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Tender strips of cube steak are dredged, pan fried, then served with creamy gravy that's flavored with roasted jalapenos and garlic. In other words, a plate full of Texas.

I've found a fix for Tex Mex here in Charlotte but have failed miserably in getting my chicken/steak fingers and gravy habit fed. Back home, it seems like every place serves cream gravy alongside chicken fingers for dipping. And the really good ones have steak fingers on the menu, too!

Steak fingers are just strips of chicken fried steak but they are made for dipping and eaten with your hands, just like a chicken fingers. They are tender, flavorful, and, when loaded up with gravy, make your eyes roll back in your head.

This twist throws some roasted jalapeno in the gravy just for kicks. It's not spicy but adds a nice flavor in the background. If you aren't a fan of jalapeno, you can easily leave it out. Either way, the whole pan is downright drinkable.

If you've never tried steak fingers and gravy, add this to your menu!

Steak Fingers with Roasted Jalapeno Cream Gravy

For the gravy:

2-4 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and halved lengthwise

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons bacon grease or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1.5 cups whole milk

salt

For the steak fingers:

2 pounds cube steak

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk or buttermilk

salt and pepper

oil, for frying

Place the jalapenos and garlic on a baking sheet and place until the broiler for 5 minutes, or until blackened. Remove from the oven and rub off the blackened skin from the jalapeno and then dice. Mince the garlic. 

In a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the bacon grease or oil over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the jalapenos and garlic. Add salt to taste. If gravy is too thick, add more milk until desired consistency. Set aside - you can reheat on low before serving.

Slice the cube steak into strips and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 200 and line a baking sheet with paper towels.

In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, cayenne, about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. In a second shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.

Dredge each strip first in the flour, then the egg/milk, then back into the flour. 

In a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron), heat 1/2 inch of oil over medium-high heat. After about 5 minutes of heating, stick a wooden spoon into the oil. If oil bubbles around the spoon, it should be hot enough.

Add the prepared strips to the pan, being careful not to crowd them, and cook until you see red juices bubbling on top of the meal, about 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip them over and cook another 2-4 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and slide into the oven to keep warm while you continue cooking the rest of the strips.

Once ready to serve, warm the gravy over low heat and serve alongside the strips.

Source: adapted from The Homesick Texan's Family Table

Southeast Texas Gumbo

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A Texas twist on the traditional gumbo! This version is stuffed full of sausage and seafood and is so delicious, you'll be wishing you'd made a double batch!

Let's be real: gumbo is not a 30 minute meal. Well, at least not a good one! Gumbo isn't difficult to make but it does take time and, perhaps, a couple of pots :) Perhaps not weeknight friendly but definitely weekend worthy! The best part about this recipe is that it makes a large amount so you can enjoy it for a couple of days and give yourself a break from cooking and dishwashing! Cancels each other out, right?

This recipe, like most traditional gumbo recipes, starts with a roux. After adding in some veggies, sausage, and shrimp, you let it simmer before lading a huge spoonful over white rice. It's ridiculously good!

Southeast Texas Gumbo

For the roux:

1/2 cup bacon grease or vegetable oil

1 cup flour

For the gumbo:

1/4 cup butter

1 yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

16 ounce bag frozen cut okra

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound smoked sausage, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

7 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

To make the roux, heat the grease or oil over medium-high in a cast iron skillet. Sprinkle in the flour, a little at a time, and cook, stirring continuously, for 30-35 minutes or until the roux is dark praline brown. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion, pepper, and okra and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Transfer the veggies to a plate and set aside.

In the same Dutch oven, cook the sausage. When it begins to crisp, pour in the Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup of the chicken broth. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits.

Stir in the roux, then pour in the remaining 6 cups of children broth. Whisk until well combined. Add the sauteed vegetables, salt, and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Add the shrimp and cook another 15 minutes.

Serve over white rice. 

Source: adapted from The Homesick Texan: Family Table by Lisa Fain

Mole Chorizo

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Making your own chorizo at home is super simple! This version melds the delicious flavors of a mole sauce resulting in fantastic sausage.

Several years ago, I made a mole chili for guests that went over like a lead balloon. It was heavy on the cocoa flavor and, evidently, that's not a universally loved flavor combo. Even my husband didn't like it! I was not only embarrassed, but it pained me to have a huge pot of leftover chili that no one wanted. Since then, I've been hesitant to try anything with mole sauce containing chocolate. Thank goodness I went ahead and decided to try this chorizo!

My husband, though not a fan of chocolate in his mole sauce, devoured this chorizo. We stuffed it into breakfast tacos with some crispy breakfast potatoes, scrambled eggs, cheese, sour cream, and sliced avocado and plowed through them all. It has a depth of flavor that is hard to describe! Not at all chocolately, just a bit sweet and savory.

I had no idea making my own chorizo was so simple! Just mix, let the flavors meld, and brown! The ingredient list looks a million miles long but I promise you're just pulling out small amounts of most of your spice cabinet :)

Use it in anything you'd typically use taco meat - tacos, nachos, or even queso! Mmm, queso...

I decided that sausage rolls are fairly unattractive to look at so I got desperate and grabbed a spoonful of cocoa powder to focus on. Ridiculous? Yes, but don't let that stop you from trying the recipe!

Mole Chorizo
2 dried ancho chiles
2 chipotle chiles, from canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
pinch of ground cloves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
1 pound ground pork (at least 20% fat - not lean!)

Remove the stems and seeds of the ancho chiles. In a dry cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, cook for 5-10 seconds on each side, or until they begin to puff up a bit. Add enough warm water to cover the chiles, turn off the heat, and let soak for 30 minutes, or until they are soft and plumbed. Remove them from the water, rinse, then chop.

In a food processor, combine the chopped ancho chiles, chipotle chiles, raisins, sesame seeds, onion, garlic, cocoa powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, cloves, salt, apple cider vinegar, and water. Puree until it forms a smooth bright red paste, scraping down the sides occasionally. If it's too dry to blend, add a tablespoon of water at a time. It will look like dark ketchup.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork with the chile puree and mix well.

To test the flavors, heat a skillet over medium heat and fry a small pinch of the chorizo for a minute or so. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Cover the bowl and let refrigerate at least 4 hours so the flavors can meld. To prepare, fry as you would ground beef.

Cooked chorizo will keep in the refrigerator for a week. Uncooked chorizo can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Source: Homesick Texan Family Table