How to Make Chicken Fried (country fried) Steak with Country Gravy

Use round or sirloin steak. If it's on sale, top sirloin isn't that much more expensive...and it is that much better! "Petite sirloin" is bottom sirloin, and it's fine. Recipe from my inlaws, who owned The Hilander Restaurant, Burns, Oregon, 1957-64. Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes, with soup or salad, coffee AND a piece of pie, sold for $1.25.
Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy
Tenderized round or sirloin steak, cut into serving size pieces
Flour for dredging
1 egg, beaten slightly
1 cup water
Dried bread crumbs or crushed saltines
Salt and pepper to taste (I use seasoned salt)
Oil and margarine

Dredge all of the steak in flour, shaking off the excess. Wash your hands. Mix egg and water together to make egg wash. Dip floured steak in egg wash, then dredge in bread crumbs or cracker meal. Preheat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add oil to heated skillet and then melt about 1 tablespoon of margarine in skillet. Fry steaks in oil and butter until golden brown on one side. Turn, season with salt and pepper, and fry until done. Transfer to an ovenproof plate or pan and keep warm in oven until all of the steaks are cooked. Add oil and butter to pan as needed.

COUNTRY GRAVY--Gravy is an art, not a science. The success of your gravy will depend on the pan drippings. If you have more than a tablespoon or so of grease left in the skillet, pour off the excess. If you don't have enough grease, melt a little butter in the bottom of the pan. Add about 2 tablespoons of flour and stir until smooth to make a roux. Cook for a minute or two to eliminate the "raw" taste from the flour. Using an egg whisk (one of those spring-y type things), stir the roux while you add about 1-1/2 cups of milk. Stir until thickened. If it got thick right away, you probably have too much flour in it and will end up with "pudding gravy." If so, add more milk and continue stirring until it boils and is the right consistency. If it is too thin, just keep cooking and stirring until it thickens up. Season with salt (seasoned salt) and pepper. Stir in a chicken bouillion cube or about 1/2 teaspoon chicken soup base...this is the secret ingredient. Country gravy is usually on the salty side.

Edited to add this note--It is usually cheaper to buy round or sirloin steak on sale and have the meatcutter tenderize it for you than to buy pre-packaged cube steak...which is over-tenderized and tends to fall apart when you work with it. Have the meatcutter put it through the tenderizing machine twice. I have never been charged extra for this service.