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Idaho finger steaks

Battered, deep-fried strips of steak with fry sauce

Finger 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
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Ingredients

Serves4

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 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 min
  2. Step 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 min
  3. Step 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 min
  4. Step 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 min
  5. Step 5: Drain on kitchen paper. Cut one open: the beef should be just pink or cooked to your liking inside.

    2 min
  6. Step 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.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

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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