Chuckwagon Sandwich

A Chuckwagon Sandwich is a truly indulgent dish that combines classic Southern comfort food with a rustic, cowboy-inspired twist. At the heart of the sandwich is a chicken-fried steak, a tenderized steak, usually a cut like cube steak, coated in seasoned flour and fried until crispy and golden, which gives it a crunchy exterior that’s flavor, reminiscent of fried chicken.

Chuckwagon sandwich: deli version

Originally, chuckwagon food was generally easy to preserve items such as coffee and salted meat since it was carried and distributed in a wagon, which is where the deli version of the sandwich came from. This deli version of the chuckwagon incorporates a beautiful assortment of cheeses and meats, such as gouda, edam, salami, pastrami, and roast beef.

For the deli version, we recommend using a brioche bun, some mustard and mayonnaise or chipotle as sauces, and serving it with shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes.

Chicken-fried steak

A chicken-fried steak is made with lean meat, such as a top round or sirloin tip. The cut of meat is a cubed steak, which is tenderized or pounded meat. It is important to use lean meat since the less fat on the cut, the better. Since the steak will be dipped in flour and batter, the fat will not render well while being fried if the steak is fatty. This results in chewy fat on the cut of meat.

The steak is dipped in flour and then an egg wash, which results in a beautifully crispy crust and a juicy, tender steak.

Buttermilk

We marinate the steak in buttermilk for at least 30 min to 1 hour. However, we recommend leaving the steak to marinate overnight as the buttermilk tenderizes it due to its acidity, resulting in a tender and juicy cut of meat.

Cooking

We use a cast-iron skillet to fry our steaks, but any non-stick frying pan that is deep enough will do. The pan should be deep enough to carry 2-3 cups of oil.

We add the steaks to the pan when the oil has reached 350°F. To be more accurate in the kitchen, we use a cooking thermometer which helps us immensely when frying or cooking meat. If you do not have a cooking thermometer, you can test whether the oil has reached temperature by sprinkling several drops of water into the oil. If it sizzles and spits a little bit when you do so, it means it’s ready to use for frying.

Top it off

In our opinion, the Chuckwagon sandwich is already a beast, but we love to be a bit extra - here are some add-ons that we think you might like;

• Spicy: Jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, tangy BBQ sauce
• The deluxe: Bacon, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, ranch dressing
• Breakfast edition: Fried egg, American cheese, hot sauce
• BBQ lovers: BBQ sauce, coleslaw, crispy onion rings
• Mushroom & Swiss: Sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, garlic mayo
• Tex-Mex: Guacamole, salsa, cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips
• Gourmet: Blue cheese, arugula, caramelized onions, balsamic glaze
• The Mediterranean: Feta cheese, olives, tzatziki spread