This dish is one of my all time comfort food favorites, great for any part of the day. I like to make this dish in winter, when I’m looking for more stick-to-your-bones types of fare rather than something light. The drippings are what makes the gravy, so don’t skimp.
Heat about 1/4-1/2 inch of oil or shortening in a frying pan. Beat eggs then combine with milk. Dredge tenderized beef cutlets in flour, then egg-milk wash, then a second time in flour.
Place dredged cutlets into heated oil and fry until golden, about 10 minutes. Turn steak over and cook for another 5 minutes or so until both sides are golden. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and allow to drain.
TIME TO MAKE THE GRAVY: Drain all but 1-2 tablespoons of drippings from the frying pan; leave all the cooked bits you can. Combine flour and seasonings with milk, then pour into the pan with drippings and bits. Continually stir/whisk the gravy over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until desired consistency. Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary. Serve generously over each piece of chicken fried steak. Sop up any extra gravy with a biscuit.
Football: Owen changes the England equation Shearer and Owen are likely to be Keegan’s first-choice strikers. By Glenn Moore go to web site escape the car
The Independent (London, England) May 29, 2000 | Glenn Moore THE BURGER vans were wiping up, the garbage men sweeping away the detritus of another game, and the queue to escape the car park was down to five minutes. Another shower was on the way. Yet outside the entrance to Wembley’s Banqueting Hall on Saturday evening were several hundred England fans, still waiting patiently for a glimpse of their heroes and, for the lucky few, an autograph. Then the captain emerged and, as one, the crowd bayed: “Shear-er, Shear-er”.
This is the man, remember, who is booed at most Premiership grounds. Who, excluding the Luxembourg hat-trick, and penalties, has scored three goals in his last 17 internationals and, against Brazil that afternoon, had missed two excellent chances. After a bright start on Saturday he had been overshadowed by Michael Owen and the critics who had written him off at the start of the season were beginning to raise their heads back above the parapet.
The public, to judge from this unrepresentative sample, and the broader poll of a Wembley crowd which had regularly chanted his name, have regained their faith. The England manager, like his three predecessors, swears he never lost it. Yet, after Saturday, the debate about England’s forward line has taken another turn. Once again the question is: should it now be Owen plus one? Or remain Shearer plus one? And who should be the one? Or are Owen and Shearer now compatible?
These are questions that Kevin Keegan will have to resolve before England’s first match in Euro 2000, against Portugal in Eindhoven, a fortnight today. Before that he has to decide who are the forwards he will actually take to the tournament. Keegan is due to name his squad after Wednesday’s Wembley international against Ukraine and choosing five from six strikers – Shearer, Owen, Emile Heskey, Kevin Phillips, Robbie Fowler and Andy Cole – is likely to be one of his key decisions.
Keegan’s fondest wish is that Shearer and Owen establish a winning partnership – and who can blame him? Such has been the reliance on Shearer and, to a lesser extent, Owen, that no other potential partnership has anything like their individual and combined experience. At 20 Owen has already spent nearly as much time hanging around the penalty boxes of the international arena as Fowler, Cole, Heskey and Phillips combined. Shearer, meanwhile, has missed just 25 minutes of Keegan’s 11-match reign.
However, in the last nine hours under Keegan England have scored five goals in six matches, just two of which were scored by strikers – Shearer’s overhead kick against Belgium in October, and Owen’s equally well-taken close-range strike on Saturday. That was England’s first goal in more than four hours’ play since Paul Scholes’ brace in Glasgow. Who would have imagined that Keegan would preside over such an impotent side?
Part of the problem is the service. From the left wing, since the injury to Graeme Le Saux, it has been negligible. From the right it is limited by England’s inability to release David Beckham into crossing positions as often as Manchester United can. This limits Shearer’s value to the side.
Owen, meanwhile, has been hamstrung by the absence, since Paul Gascoigne’s decline, of those eye-of-the needle passes from midfield that open up international defences. Hence the reliance on set- pieces and the need for a partnership which can make chances for each other, because no-one else will.
In the past Shearer and Owen, though ostensibly well-suited (big man – little man, muscle man – quick man) have appeared too selfish to combine. Both, as Shearer admitted on Friday, run into the same areas.
Keegan has been working on this and there was progress on Saturday, notably with Owen’s goal. It was laid on by Shearer and set up after Shearer won a throw-in having been fed by Owen. However, that was the only pass from Owen to Shearer in the entire game.
Both players spoke positively about the partnership afterwards, while recognising it had its faults. “It went well today,” said Owen, adding there were no excuses for it not doing so. “It is not as if we are of similar build,” he said, “Alan is more of a target man while I am more about getting behind people and using my pace.” Shearer, who rarely won the ball in the air on Saturday, is unlikely to be pleased at being called a `target man’, he prefers a big man alongside, like Chris Sutton, Les Ferdinand, Duncan Ferguson and now Heskey.
He hinted at this when he said: “Michael and I are both goalscorers who like to play up against the last defender. We’ve had to modify our games.” But he added: “Ours is not a natural partnership, like Gary Lineker and Peter Beardsley, or me and Teddy Sheringham, but we’ve shown we can share the work-load. This is probably the best we have played together since Argentina [in the World Cup].” Keegan, having said the pair “needed a game together”, although it was their 17th match in tandem, added: “I saw a lot of good things with them. Owen looked like he had goals in him. Against Scotland he fell behind the standards he sets for himself but he gave Brazil tremendous problems.” Striking is not just about goals, it is also about being an outlet when the team is under pressure. Keegan added, pertinently, of Owen: “He has to hold the ball up better.” Though Keegan is a fan of Fowler, his lack of fitness means the permutations for the front two appear to have come down to two from Shearer, Owen and Heskey. One past his peak, the others yet to reach theirs. see here escape the car
Though early impressions suggest Heskey would work well with either, his lack of experience means the others are likely to start against Portugal. Keegan is therefore sure to spend a lot of time working with Owen and Shearer on the training grounds of Bisham and Spa, their Belgian HQ, in the next month.
Should Fowler prove his fitness against Ukraine on Wednesday, when he is likely to start alongside Shearer, the last squad place would appear to be between Cole and Phillips. Cole has Champions’ League experience but, given that the fifth striker rarely plays, and mood is important when a team is closeted together at a tournament, Phillips may get the nod for his cheerier demeanour.
And finally, a reminder. Shearer is 29, which is not exactly past it for an international striker, even one over-reliant on strength and pace and over-acquainted with the surgeon’s knife. He was written off before Euro ’96 and responded in style; he may do so again. His star is fading but, while Owen and Heskey mature, he is probably the best we have. Next month he may prove it.
Glenn Moore
