Cut softened butter into flour with a pastry blender or 2 forks just until butter cubes are coated with flour. Using your hands, gently combine until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in buttermilk with a fork just until blended. (Mixture will be wet.)
Turn dough out onto a generously floured surface, and pat to ½-inch thickness. Cut dough with a well-floured 2‘ round cutter (avoid twisting cutter—it will seal the edges and prevent proper rising). Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 450° for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Removed from oven and brush warm biscuits with melted butter. Serve immediately.
EASY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
Add 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese to butter and flour mixture just before adding buttermilk. Drained, minced pickled jalapeño peppers may be added at this point as well. Proceed as directed.
CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK
salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
1 (6-ounce) round steak cutlet, tenderized
1 cup all-purpose flour (more if needed)
4 eggs
1 can flat beer
1 tbsp Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer
cream gravy (see recipe below)
Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic salt on both sides of tenderized steak to taste. (To tenderize: place cutlet between wax paper sheets; pound steak with meat mallet till ¼-inch thick.)
Place steak into a tray of flour, then pound it with stiff fingers, working from the center out, until it reaches the size of a dinner plate or an old LP record. Flip several times and repeat pounding.
Mix eggs, beer, 1 tsp salt, and Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer in a shallow bowl. Add enough flour to make a thin, watery batter. Beat till smooth.
Dip meat into batter, then back into the flour tray and cover with flour. Pound again with fingertips until moisture is absorbed.
Cook in a cast-iron skillet in deep fat at 350° until golden brown.
CREAM GRAVY
3-4 tbsp flour
1 cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk, more if needed
salt and pepper
Pour off most of fat from skillet, reserving 3-4 tbsp in skillet.
Add flour to skillet and stir till lightly browned, scraping up all bits of steak coating crumbs.
Remove skillet from heat, slowly add heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk, stirring constantly until mix begins to thicken.
Return skillet to medium heat, continue stirring till gravy is of desired consistency. Correct seasoning and serve.
RECIPE INDEX
Pork Loin with Pearl Onions and Grapes
with Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas
15
Butter-Sautéed Chicken Breasts
in a Creamy Walnut Cilantro Sauce
with Nickel and Nickel Chardonnay
30
Serrano Lime Grilled Prawns
with Duckhorn Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
49
Cheese Ravioli with Sweet Italian Sausage
and Bracco Chianti Classico
144
Partygoer Chili with Hahn Estate Merlot
207
Chicken-Fried Steak, Biscuits, and Gravy
with Luna Pinot Grigio
257