Country Fried Steak

Ingredients:

3 pounds sirloin tip roast
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons pepper
vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

Cut the meat into 1/2-inch thick slices. Pound the meat with a meat mallet to tenderize. Cut each slice crosswise into 3 pieces. Place in a large bowl. Cover with water and add the salt and vinegar. Marinate for 2 hours.

Combine the flour and pepper in a plastic bag and add the meat, (do not pat dry) 1 piece at a time, shaking to coat thoroughly. Heat the oil in the deep fryer or a large deep skillet, over medium heat, to 350°. Add the meat in batches (do not crowd) and fry until light brown, about 30 seconds per side. Drain the meat on paper towels and place it on a heated platter and cover lightly with foil to keep warm.

To make the gravy, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil in the skillet, leaving the browned bits. Heat over medium heat and add the flour, stirring and scraping up all of the browned bits for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Stir in the salt and continue to whisk until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve over the steaks and garnish with parsley just before serving.

Serves 8.