Oklahoma is a mid-western U.S. state whose diverse landscape includes the Great Plains, hills lakes and forests. Oklahoma City, the capital, is home to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, recognizing the state’s pioneer history, and the Bricktown entertainment district, popular for dining and nightlife.
Oklahoma's nickname is "The Sooner State". This is the name first applied about six months after the Land Run of 1889 to people who entered the Oklahoma District (Unassigned Lands) before the designated time. The term derived from a section in the Indian Appropriation Act of March 2, 1889. Thousands of people lined up on the border and, when the signal was given, they raced into the territory to claim their land. Some people went in early to claim their land. They became known as Sooners.
Oklahoma has an extensive cuisine that reflects the state's historic and present-day agriculture and the cultural backgrounds of Oklahoma residents. The official state meal consists of fried food, barbecue meat, many grain and bean based dishes such as cornbread and biscuits and gravy which are very popular items in Oklahoma.
Texas claims to be the birthplace of chicken fried steak, and they might be right, but the dish is no less reversed on the other side of the border, there it is the number 1 in the "Official State Meal". Chicken fried steak is a favorite meal loved by almost all Oklahomans. Many even assert that when evaluating a restaurant/café, they try the chicken fried steak, and if it passes muster, they move on to sample other menu items. However, if the chicken friends steak is not up to par, they remove the establishment from their dining list.
Every eating establishment in Oklahoma prepare the dish in the same basic way. A piece of round steak, cut thin is tenderized by pounding it with hammer, or soft drink bottle or even the edge of a saucer will do the job. In more advanced establishment, they run it through an electric tenderizer.
Next the meat is battered by dipping it into a milk and egg mixture and then dredging it through a combination of flour, baking powder, salt and pepper before frying it in oil in skillet over medium heat until the crust is crisp and golden brown. After the steak is removed, most of the grease is poured out of the pan, leaving the little crisps from the crust. Flour, milk salt and pepper are added to this residue and stirred until a whitish or brownish gravy is produced. The dish is served with the gravy on the steak or on the side, along with mashed potatoes and another vegetable. Of course, there are scores of variation on this process, such as double battering the meat, varying the cut of the steak, or changing the seasoning mixtures, but the process remains essentially the same.
Ranch House Grille, a family owned restaurant in Phoenix, AZ, serving south and mid-western comfort food made with fresh and high quality ingredients. This restaurant has addressed the concerns of the modern heath conscious consumers by offering both a regular and a light Chicken Fried Steak. Reassure they are both the same steak, but the light version comes with a smaller side. Their hearty breakfast fare, huge portions, friendly staff and old fashioned prices, this places definitely attracts a lot of locals.
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