Chicken-Fried Steak with Gravy

• 170 g raw Sirloin steak (6.0 oz raw)
• 28 g All-purpose flour (3⅔ tbsp)
• 40 g (about 1½ egg whites) Egg whites (1½ large egg whites)
• 20 g Dry breadcrumbs or panko (0.7 oz)
• 0.6 g Black pepper (¼ tsp)
• 1.5 g Salt (¼ tsp)
• 3 g Vegetable oil spray (⅔ tsp)
• 150 g raw Potatoes (5.3 oz raw)
• 250 g Water (1 cups)
• 190 g Skim milk (¾ cup)
• 60 g Beef broth (¼ cup)
• 5 g Butter (1 tsp)
• 100 g raw Green beans (3.5 oz raw)

You'll need: Air fryer (or oven and baking sheet), Plastic wrap, Rolling pin or small pan, 2 shallow bowls, 2 saucepans, Whisk, Potato masher.

Method

1. Pound and bread the steak

   Heat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F). Cover the steak with plastic wrap and pound it to 1 cm (½ inch). Put two thirds of the flour in a bowl with half the salt and pepper. Put the egg whites in a second bowl and mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining pepper on a plate. Coat the steak in flour, then egg white, then press it into the breadcrumbs.

   Pounding tenderizes the steak and makes it cook fast, so the crust and meat finish together.

2. Air-fry the steak

   Spray both sides of the breaded steak with the oil and air-fry for 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden and 71°C (160°F) in the middle (it's tenderized, so it needs a little more heat). No air fryer? Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) at the start and bake on a lined baking sheet instead, turning halfway; each batch takes about 5 minutes longer.

   Spray every dry patch of crumbs. Any bare spot stays pale.

3. Boil and mash the potatoes

   Cut the potatoes into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes and boil them in the water with a pinch of salt for 12–15 minutes, until a knife slips in easily. Drain, then mash with 40 g of the milk, half the butter and a pinch of salt. Steam the green beans in the microwave with a splash of water for 3 minutes.

   Warm the milk before mashing. Cold milk makes the potatoes gluey.

4. Whisk the gravy

   Melt the remaining butter in the second pan over medium heat, whisk in the remaining flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the beef broth and the rest of the milk, then simmer for 3 minutes, whisking, until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with plenty of pepper.

   Add the liquid slowly while whisking. That's what keeps the gravy lump-free.

5. Plate it up

   Set the steak on a plate with the mashed potatoes and green beans and ladle the gravy over the steak and mash.

   Pour gravy over half the steak only. The rest stays crisp.

Swaps

• Sirloin steak → Lean ground beef patty, flattenedCheaper and softer, and cooked to 71°C (160°F); coat the same way.
• Potatoes → Cauliflower, boiled and mashedAbout 90 kcal fewer, with a lighter mash.