Steak is a high-quality beef that is taken from the hind limbs of animals. 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 dishes of steak in the States. It is a kind of breaded cutlet steak dish. The two are often served in place of the other because of the similarities
Key Takeaways
- Country Fried Steak is typically 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 usually pounded and tenderized, while Chicken Fried Steak is usually breaded and deep-fried.
Country Fried Steak vs Chicken Fried Steak
The difference between Country Fried Steak and Chicken Fried Steak is that country fried steak uses brown gravy along with onions for garnishing, whereas chicken fried steak is dished out with white cream gravy made from egg.
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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 along with. They are garnished with onions and do not use egg.
Chicken fried steak is a recent variation of the 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 gravy.
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 | The origin of this dish was 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 the modification of the German flavour that the dish carried. |
| Type of gravy | They have brown gravy with onions for garnishing. | They usually 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 the brown gravy. So it absorbs and soaks in the sauce. Only after absorbing the gravy, the dish is served. | The outer coating of this steak is made very crispy. To enhance the crispness of the steak, the gravy is served along the side. |
| Popularity | This dish is more popular among 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 dish’s 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 usually not very crispy.
The steak can also be used for preparing steak fingers. All that is need to be done is cutting 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 egg. They are served with the peppered white and creamy gravy to enhance the steak’s 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 it 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 a dish, frequently made in the U.S. and is made 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 a more recent origin and was initially made in an attempt to modify the flavour of the steak.
- The type of gravy used for the two is what 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, the gravy is served along the sides. Country fried steak is not very crisp. They are kept in the brown gravy and the steak soaks in this gravy. They are served after the steak absorbs the sauce.
- Since the taste of both steaks is different, they are popular in different regions. Country fried steak is popular in all the Southern States. But the 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.
