Hey Everyone! How are ya? I hope that the answer is FANTASTIC! Spring is finally here. Warmer weather is finally here. Mushrooms are finally here (well, where I live, they are)! It seemed like the winter would never end. The older I get, the longer it takes for the leaves to pop out and the grass to green up. I have even been out to clean up some of the gardens where the perennials are poking through the earth. I love gardening and I regret that these days I don’t have the time that I would like to devote to my flowers. The only thing that I do not like about spending time with my plants is the chance that there will be some slithery reptile in amongst the foliage.
I absolutely hate snakes! Well, actually, I have a phobia of snakes. I can’t even get close enough to one to hate it. You see, I grew up on a farm. There were lots of snakes on that farm, including in my yard. I remember stepping on them with bare feet (I never wore shoes if the weather was warm)…yeeech. Mom’s philosophy was that the only good snake was a dead one. She would run over them with the lawn mower repeatedly just to be sure there was no chance for recovery. I also had a little frog farm in the basement window well and those serpentine uglies would get in and eat my frogs. Upsetting, to say the least. My brother would kill the snakes for me, but the damage was done. Now, full disclosure, I have eaten fried snake. My husband once assisted in killing a Rattler and brought it home. His dad fried it up along with some chicken. I did try it and enjoyed it. It tasted kind of like fried chicken. But I must admit that I like this dish much better. It is delicious and doesn’t creep me out. The recipe that I wanted to share today has a title that is completely deceptive. It is called Rattlesnake. Now, there are no reptiles involved in this dish. Believe me, I would not make it if snakes were involved.
This dish is actually beef. I have no idea why it is called Rattlesnake. I do know that it is very tasty. The bite-sized morsels of breaded and fried beef are dipped in a luscious tangy sauce. The result is an incredibly satisfying and rich entrée. The dish is elegant enough to serve for a special occasion but simple enough for a weeknight meal.
A hundred years ago, when I was a teenager, there was a restaurant in a nearby town that served this dish. It was kind of a fancy restaurant, relatively speaking. I thought it was fancy, but I was an unsophisticated farm girl. Anywho, when I did get to that restaurant, I would always order Rattlesnake. It is bite-sized bits of tender beef that are breaded and fried. Ok, nothing too marvelous about that but the dipping sauce really makes this dish unforgettable. Years after that dining establishment closed, I saw this recipe in a community cookbook. I nearly jumped for joy! I could make one of my favorite dishes at home. And now, you can too. It is really super easy and can feed many people. I have tweaked the recipe just a bit. The original from the cookbook called for round steak but it would be kind of costly to get enough of that for a whole family. So, I used charcoal steaks which are a budget-friendly cut at my local grocery store. So, you can use any cut that you want as long as it is tender enough when fried. I think that any beef cut that would be tender enough to grill would be perfectly fine for frying.
You will need 3 pounds of steak. I used a budget variety and it worked wonderfully so you don’t need to spring for an expensive cut. You will also need 2 eggs, 1 Tablespoon milk, 1 cup of regular Bisquick, and 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour for the steak part of the recipe. For the sauce, you will need 1/2 cup butter, 6 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 4 Tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium), 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
Cut the steaks into bite-sized pieces and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and then add in the milk with a whisk or fork. Set this aside. In another medium bowl, mix the Bisquick and flour. Set up a dredging station with the meat, egg mixture and flour mixture.
Heat your choice of oil in a deep skillet or fryer to around 350 degrees. If you don’t have an oil thermometer you can test the oil by dropping a little lump of flour into the oil. When it sizzles and stays on top of the oil it is hot enough. I routinely use canola oil but peanut or vegetable oils are also good choices. The oil will need to be deep enough that the pieces can float, so about 2 – 3 inches deep.
While the oil is heating, coat the steak pieces in egg and then roll in the flour mixture. Arrange all of the pieces on a large baking sheet after they have been dipped and rolled in flour. I started off this time with a regular plate for the dipped cubes. I quickly discovered that I didn’t have enough space…ugh. This process does take a little time and is messy. You have been warned. It is great if you can recruit a little help at this point. Hint to the spouse.
Drop the steak pieces into hot oil in small batches. Fry for 2 – 4 minutes. I fry mine for 3 minutes and they are just slightly pink in the middle which is the way that my family likes them. If you want them well-done then you will have to fry for one more minute. I would suggest that you fry a couple by themselves to test the timing. When the pieces are cooked, remove them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet or large pan and keep them warm. Continue to fry until all are done.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove the butter from the heat and add the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Parmesan cheese, curry powder and garlic. Whisk until everything is well combined. If you want the sauce to be smoother you can certainly mix it up in the blender as well. Be careful of steam if your butter is still very hot, though.
Pour the completed dipping sauce into small bowls so that each person can have their own. Give everyone a hearty pile of Rattlesnake and prepare for the mmmmmm’s. To eat, dip the steak pieces into the sauce and enjoy. Maybe you can figure out why it is called Rattlesnake. It doesn’t really matter. It is delicious no matter what and it is the only snake that I can say I truly love.
Rattlesnake
Ingredients
- 3 pounds steak (cut of your choice)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 cup regular Bisquick
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 6 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce low sodium
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Cut the steaks into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and then add in the milk with a whisk or fork. Set this aside.
- In another medium bowl, mix the Bisquick and flour.
- Set up a dredging station with the meat, egg mixture and flour mixture.
- Heat your choice of oil in a deep skillet or fryer to around 350 degrees. The oil will need to be deep enough that the pieces can float, so about 2 – 3 inches of oil.
- While the oil is heating, coat the steak pieces in egg and then roll in the flour mixture. Arrange all of the pieces on a large baking sheet after they have been dipped and rolled in flour.
- Drop the steak pieces into hot oil in small batches. Fry for 2 – 4 minutes. When the pieces are cooked, remove them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet or large pan and keep them warm. Continue to fry until all are done.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove the butter from the heat and add the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Parmesan cheese, curry powder and garlic. Whisk until everything is well combined.
- To eat, dip the steak pieces into the sauce and enjoy.
