Chicken Fried Steak

This is the Little Bighorn River in Montana.  It looks rather lazy in this picture but it was quite wide and had a good current.  It was so beautiful with all the hoar frost.

 According to The Dictionary of American Food and Drink by John Mariani, the term "chicken-fried steak" first appeared in print in the year 1952. It has long been a favorite dish in the South, Midwest, and Southwest United States.

I am now in Malta, Montana.  I am hitting all the hot spots!  Tonight's dinner was at The Great Northern Steakhouse or GN Steakhouse, for short.  This was undoubtedly named after the Great Northern Railway which was opened in 1890 in this area.  I am only a couple of hours from the border now.

I had my first Chicken Fried Steak tonight.  Stupid me, I didn't read the menu and thought it would be chicken!  Needless to say my first bite was a bit of a surprise.  But it was good.  Nicely prepared and served with milk gravy and a choice of potato. 

Chicken-fried or country-fried steak is usually made with round steak, tenderized then dipped in an egg and milk mixture, then dredged in seasoned flour or bread crumbs. The coated steak is then fried in hot fat until the coating is crispy and browned, much like fried chicken. A milk gravy is often made to be served with the steak, along with mashed potatoes.    

It was a very lonely drive, just like New Mexico, but with snow!  This vulture was feasting on a roadkill deer.  His buddies flew away but he stayed near his dinner.