Steak Milanesa, Schnitzel, or Chicken Fried Steak

Ok, so that's a mouthful of a title, but it basically means... breaded, fried beef steak.
Milanesa is very popular in Latin American countries, especially in Argentina.  Growing up in Puerto Rico my mom used to make Milanesa, and we kids LOVED it! Chicken fried steak, contrary to its ame is made with beef but is similar, eaten in southern US and usually topped with gravy.  And schnitzel is the German version of fried steak, although the traditional form is with veal.

These all slightly vary in their preparation, but I found my favorite is the simpler one, without breadcrumbs and just using flour and eggs, (mainly because I don't always have breadcrumbs in the pantry and it's just as yummy!) Enjoy!

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Ingredients:
*6 (4-ounce) cube steaks (these are mechanically tenderized round steaks)
Kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
**Avocado or Grapeseed oil, for frying 
2 lemons (optional)

Directions:
Season steaks lightly with salt and place on a large rimmed baking sheet.

In a wide, shallow dish or pie pan, whisk together the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper.  In a second wide shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and milk.  Working with one steak at a time, dredge the steak in the flour, pressing the mixture into the steak and then shaking off the excess. Dip the steak in the egg mixture, turning to coat and then letting the excess drip back into the dish.  Finally, dredge in the flour a second time, pressing it into the steak and gently shaking off the excess.  Return the steak to the baking sheet and repeat to coat all steaks. 

Fill a large heavy frying pan with enough oil to reach 1/4 to 1/2 inch up the side.  Place the pan over medium-high heat and warm the oil until hot but not smoking.  In batches, fry the steaks, turning once, until the outsides are a crisp golden brown and the meat is just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. 

Optional: cut your lemons in wedges and squeeze over the steaks.  You can also prepare  your favorite simple gravy, or as our daughters like it, dip your steak in ketchup! :)

*Note: We discovered cube steaks late in our beef farming venture, but boy has it been a game changer!  I never knew what to do or how to properly cook round steaks as they tend to be tough.  Cube steaks are already mechanically tenderized so they are easy to cook quick in a frying pan or grill, they have great flavor, and are a VERY economical steak!
**Note 2: I am all about healthy eating, but I am also about moderation.  Frying every once in a blue moon is OK in my book. However, I'm not a fan of canola oil (which tends to be GMO) or "vegetable" oil (which is really soy or corn oil- also most likely GMO and we get too much corn and soy in our diets already!) So I invest in slightly more expensive avocado or grapeseed oil and use it for when we do fry or for high heat oven cooking.