Ingredients

　　

Breading falls off

Step 1

If this is your problem with chicken-fried steak, see breading, Falls Off.

　　

Curling

Step 2

Cut through the fat along the edge of the meat every inch or so and turn it over. You can turn it back again later.

　　

Overdone

Step 3

Continue cooking until it is completely charred and use it to scratch pictures on the walls of your cave. Or, perhaps more realistically, cut it into small chunks and use it in a pot of chili.

　　

Tough

Step 4

If you don’t have or would rather not use tenderizer, and if perforating the steak with the tines of a fork every 1/4 inch doesn’t appeal, try pounding it all over with the edge of a metal pie plate. Very effective, especially if you remove the pie first.

　　How to Repair Food, Third Edition