Steak is a high-quality beef taken from animalsโ hind limbs. They are generally muscle fibres of the animals and may come with the bone. Steak is served by cutting them into smaller slices after grilling or frying.
Country fried steak and chicken fried steak are two popular steak dishes in the States. It is a kind of breaded cutlet steak dish. The two are often served instead of the other because of their similarities.
Key Takeaways
- Country Fried Steak is made with beef, while Chicken Fried Steak is made with chicken.
- Chicken Fried Steak is often served with cream gravy, while Country Fried Steak can be served with various types of gravies.
- Country Fried Steak is pounded and tenderized, while Chicken Fried Steak is breaded and deep-fried.
Country Fried Steak vs Chicken Fried Steak
Chicken fried steak is made with a tenderized piece of beef, from the round or sirloin, pounded thin and coated in seasoned flour before being fried. Country fried steak can be made with various types of meat but with a tougher cut, pounded, thin and tenderized.
Country fried steak originated in the U.S. and is believed to have come from Germany. The main characteristic of this dish is the brown gravy that it is served. They are garnished with onions and do not use eggs.
Chicken fried steak is a recent variation of country fried steak. They use peppered white creamy gravy instead of the brown gravy used in country-fried. Although in some regions, they are also served with brown sauce.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Country Fried Steak | Chicken Fried Steak |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | A dish that is made with breaded-out steak and brown gravy. | A dish that is made with breaded-out steak along with an egg. The gravy was also different. |
| Origin | This dish originated in the 19th century in the U.S. It is said to have come from Germany. | This dish is a recent variation of the original country-fried steak. It is an attempt at modification of the German flavour that the dish carried. |
| Type of gravy | They have brown gravy with onions for garnishing. | They have peppered white cream gravy for dishing out this steak. Some regions serve this dish with brown gravy as well. |
| Crisp | The steak is left in brown gravy. So it absorbs and soaks in the sauce. Only after absorbing the gravy is the dish served. | The outer coating of this steak is made very crispy. To enhance the crispness of the steak, gravy is served along the side. |
| Popularity | This dish is more popular in the Southern States. | It is more popular in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. |
What is Country Fried Steak?
Country fried steak is a dish made with brown gravy and garnished with onions. The recipe for this dish does not use egg for the gravy, like in the case of chicken fried steak.
It is said to have come from Germany to the U.S., and it is now considered one of the staple food of the States. They gained high popularity during the 19th century because of their ease of preparation. The dishโs low price was just an added advantage.
This steak is left to simmer in the gravy and waits for the gravy to be absorbed by the steak. As a result, this steak is not very crispy.
The steak can also be used for preparing steak fingers. All that must be done is cut the steak into long strips instead of the usual slices.
Country fried steak is popular in all of the Southern States.
What is Chicken Fried Steak?
Chicken fried steak is a dish of breaded cubes that uses white gravy. The preparation of the white gravy requires an egg. They are served with peppered white and creamy gravy to enhance the steakโs flavour.
This dish is a variation of the country-fried steak. It is said to be modified to enhance the flavour of the steak instead of the gravy.
The steak is not served as such. It is deep-fried on a pan after it is dipped in egg batter. This is what gives a crispy flavour to the outer layer.
The sauce is served along the sides to enhance the crispiness of the outer coating of the steak.
This dish is mainly popular in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Main Differences Between Country Fried Steak and Chicken Fried Steak
- Country fried steak is frequently made in the U.S. with breaded-out steak. They are garnished with onions and have brown gravy. The chicken fried steak is a variation of this steak that is also dished out from breaded out steak, but they also have egg.
- The origin of country fried steak dates back to the 19th century in the U.S. It is believed to have come from Germany. There is no specific date of origin for chicken fried steak as it is only a variation of the country fried. They are of a more recent origin and were initially made to modify the steakโs flavour.
- The type of gravy used for the two differentiates the two dishes. While country-fried steak uses brown gravy, chicken-fried steak uses peppered white cream gravy. Although in some regions, both are served with brown gravy, chicken fried steak is mainly served with white gravy only.
- The crispness of both the steaks is also different, along with the gravy. This is because of the garnishing. Chicken fried steak has a very crispy outer coating. To enhance the crispness of this layer, gravy is served along the sides. Country fried steak is not very crisp. They are kept in brown gravy, and the steak soaks in it. They are served after the steak absorbs the sauce.
- Since the taste of both steaks differs, they are popular in different regions. Country fried steak is popular in all the Southern States. But chicken fried steak is popular in only a few regions of the States. The places of popularity are Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
