Smothered Steak and Fries

It's been quite a week (or so). Fires, insurance agents, neighborhood meetings, cleaning up (with a shovel) and worst of all trying to remember what you used to own. Those are the days that call for old-fashioned comfort food. Not modern American interpretations that pepper menus from Chicago to Savannah, but the real thing -- rich, salty, heavy, warm -- like we all wish our grandmothers used to make.

Round steak, the tenderized cut often crisped for chicken fried steak, is as handy a freezer item as a cook can find. It thaws and cooks quickly, and, in this favorite recipe leaves just one pan to clean. Dredge the steaks in seasoned flour (S&P and garlic powder for me) and crisp in hot oil (or bacon grease if you have it) until lightly browned on each side. Make sure your skillet has a tight fitting lid. Mix in one thinly sliced large onion and cook until just softened. Add 2 cups chicken broth cover tightly and simmer over medium-low heat until steaks are tender and gravy has thickened. Serve steaks piled high with the smothered onions alongside mashed or crispy fried potato rounds.