Country Fried Steak With Colcannon and Southern Style Beans

OK folks, this one is, granted, a little time intensive (but very easy) and heavy on the fat and calories. But it's so damn good, you've just got to try it at least once. This dish combines Southern Comfort Food (country fried steak and beans) with an Irish comfort food (colcannon).

Country Fried Steak With Colcannon and

Southern Style Beans

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves: 6-8

Total time from prep to plating: 2 hours

Ingredients:

Country Fried Steak

Six cube steaks
1/2 cup of flour
3 eggs
1 cup plain bread crumbs
6 tbs. canola oil
2 packages sausage gravy mix
1 (12 oz.) can of evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbs. Lawrys's seasoned salt
1 tbs. Mrs. Dash

Colcannon

4 lbs. potatoes
1 head of fresh cabbage
1 stick of butter
1 Cup of milk
Freshly ground pepper
1 package (16 oz.) bacon
4 scallions (finely chopped)
Chopped parsley leaves for garnish

Southern Style Beans

1 lb. fresh string beans
2 tbs. butter
2 tbs. crumbled, cooked bacon



Whippin it all together:

Start with cooking the entire pound of bacon. I like to microwave my bacon. It's easy and less messy. You are looking for your bacon to be a little chewy/a little crisp. For six slices, I mike on high for five minutes. When done, chop finely and set aside in a bowl. Next move on to the taters. Peel and cube your taters and get them boiling. Next cut up your cabbage. First cut out the core. Then cut into "slices". Once you have them sliced, shred as best you can. Place them in salted water and bring to a boil until it turns a darker color.

OK while you're waiting for the veggies to boil, cut the ends off of your string beans and place them into a steamer.

Next start the prep for your Country Fried Steaks. Crack your three eggs and add a little bit of water and beat them like a horse in the home stretch. Place your flour and bread crumbs in seperate bowls. Add the oil to a large skillet and pre-heat on medium. First put your cube steak in the flour, then the egg wash, then the bread crumbs and then into the hot skillet. Cook until brown on one side, then flip.

Back to the taters and cabbage. Once the cabbage changes color and once the taters are soft (test with a fork). Drain both, thoroughly. Transfer the taters back into the pot you cooked them in, or into a large mixing bowl. Add the one stick of butter and the milk and beat with an electric mixer on high. Don't beat them like you are making mashed potatoes. In other words, don't beat them until you have a nice fluffy bowl of mashed potatoes. Beat for about a minute. It will still appear a little lumpy. Now add the cabbage and freshly ground pepper and beat for another minute. Now add the scallions and all but 2 tbs. of the bacon and mix with a spoon. Garnish with parsley.

Your beans are probably done by now. So take them out of the steamer and place in a large bowl. Add the butter and bacon and mix thoroughly.

Once your cube steaks are browned on both sides, set to drain on a plate with paper towels. In the same frying pan, reduce heat to low and add the two packages of gravy mix along with the can of condensed milk. Add the water slowly and work out the lumps. Keep adding water until you reach the consistency you desire. Put the gravy into a gravy boat. Put on top of the finished cube steak. Plate everything else up and garnish with the parsley.

This dish requires a lot of prep time, but believe me, it is so yummy, it's worth it. Bon Apetitè!