Texas-Style Chicken Fried Steaks

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Fill a medium pot with salted water; heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Medium dice the potatoes. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Halve the green beans. Peel the carrots; halve lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch pieces. 

Add the diced potatoes and half the chopped garlic to the pot of boiling water. Cook 16 to 18 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add   2 tablespoons of olive oil. Using a fork or potato masher, mash to your desired consistency. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Cover to keep warm.

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Transfer to a cutting board; carefully halve horizontally. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using the bottom of a heavy pan (or a meat mallet), pound the steaks to a ¼-inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap, then season with salt and pepper on both sides. Crack the egg into a bowl; add 1/4 cup of the milk. Season with salt and pepper; whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the spice blend and all but 1 tablespoon of the flour; season with salt and pepper. Working one piece at a time, thoroughly coat the seasoned steaks in the spiced flour (shaking off any excess), then in the egg mixture (letting the excess drip off), then back in the spiced flour (shaking off any excess). Transfer to a plate.

Line a sheet pan with foil. Place the carrot pieces on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer on one side of the foil. Roast 10 minutes. Leaving the oven on, remove from the oven. While the carrots roast, place the halved green beans in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Carefully place on the other side of the sheet pan; arrange in an even layer. Roast 6 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high. Once the oil is hot enough that a pinch of the flour sizzles immediately when added, working in two batches, add the coated steaks. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until cooked to your desired degree of doneness (adding a thin layer of oil to the pan between batches). Turn off the heat. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate; let rest at least 5 minutes. Wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the remaining chopped garlic and remaining flour. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Add the remaining milk (carefully, as the liquid may splatter) and 1/2 cup of water. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened. Turn off the heat. Add as much of the hot sauce as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the gravy to be. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the cooked steaks with the mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. Top the steaks with the gravy. Enjoy!