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Idaho finger steaks
Battered, deep-fried strips of steak with fry sauce
AmericanFinger steaks are Idaho's diner and drive-in speciality, said to have been invented by a butcher in Boise in the 1950s who battered the trimmings of steaks and fried them. Strips of tender sirloin are dipped in a light, peppery batter and deep-fried until crisp, then eaten with chips and pink fry sauce at the county fair. Chef's tip: cut the beef into even strips about 1.5 cm thick so they cook to tender in the 2 minutes it takes the batter to brown.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb sirloin steaktrimmed, cut in 1.5 × 8 cm strips
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 oz cornflour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup cold milk
- 6 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Season the 1 ⅓ lb sirloin steak with half the ½ tsp salt, the 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp garlic powder.
3 minStep 2: Whisk the 5 ½ oz plain flour, 1 oz cornflour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp paprika and the rest of the ½ tsp salt, then whisk in the 1 egg and ¾ cup cold milk to a batter like thick cream. Rest 10 minutes.
12 minStep 3: Heat the 6 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pan to 350°F, filling it no more than a third full.
10 minStep 4: Dip the strips in the batter, let the excess drip off and fry 5 or 6 at a time for 2–3 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp. A common mistake is crowding the pan, which makes the coating greasy.
12 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper. Cut one open: the beef should be just pink or cooked to your liking inside.
2 minStep 6: Stir the 4 tbsp mayonnaise and 2 tbsp tomato ketchup together for fry sauce and serve with the hot finger steaks.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does idaho finger steaks take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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