# Foods/dishes whose name does not compute **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 3, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092 "2023-04-03T16:11:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Blindmellowjelly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindmellowjelly/32/13920_2.png) [@Blindmellowjelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blindmellowjelly)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/161 "2023-06-11T01:51:01Z")
> [@Blindmellowjelly](#): > > > [@Alessan](#): > > > > “Chicken fried steak”. > > > > I honestly have no idea what it is. Is it steak? Is it chicken? Is it steak fried by a chicken? What? > > It’s “Stil: Huehner frittenden Kotelette” or teutonic-texan Rinderschnitzel. Our particularly “American Schnitzel” (beefstek) is also, almost always accommpanied by a Soße/Gravy. It is a white, peppery, milk gravy also known as, Sawmill Gravy ( Müller So8.) I had Schweinschnitzel with champignon gravy in the Austrrian Alps. And then, of course, there is East Texas. It demysifies it , when you talk sbout it as Steak pounded Schnitzel with so8. ---
**Author:** ![Blindmellowjelly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindmellowjelly/32/13920_2.png) [@Blindmellowjelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blindmellowjelly)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/162 "2023-06-11T03:49:57Z")
Jägerschnitzel war “der” oder “das” Schweinefleisch Schnitzel, dass ich gegessen haben, uebernacthen in Oesterreicher Alpen. ---
**Author:** ![Blindmellowjelly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindmellowjelly/32/13920_2.png) [@Blindmellowjelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blindmellowjelly)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/163 "2023-06-11T04:19:51Z")
I was on my way to Greece (Florida), in a caravan that day and night through Germany and Austria . It always felt like my way to get down to most of Tenesse, Chattanooga, TN. Tenessee and foothills of the alps have a lot in common… And the next day, running through Northern Yugoslavia had a lot in common with Georgia. ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/164 "2023-06-11T04:21:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > “Chicken fried steak”. > > I honestly have no idea what it is. Is it steak? Is it chicken? Is it steak fried by a chicken? What? It’s delicious is what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/165 "2023-06-11T05:31:36Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I honestly have no idea what it is. Is it steak? Is it chicken? Is it steak fried by a chicken? What? It’s cheap steak pounded until tender, then breaded and fried the way one would serve southern fried chicken, and topped with a bechamel-like gravy (optionally with bits of crumbled sausage in it). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/166 "2023-06-11T07:17:10Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It’s cheap steak pounded until tender, then breaded and fried the way one would serve southern fried chicken, and topped with a bechamel-like gravy (optionally with bits of crumbled sausage in it). Pan-fried or deep-fried? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/167 "2023-06-11T08:05:28Z")
Typically you’d deep-fry it in a cast iron skillet, then pour off most of the fat and make the gravy in the same pan, sprinkling in some flour to make a roux and then deglazing with milk and/or heavy cream. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/168 "2023-06-11T09:05:26Z")
Got it. So it is more like fried chicken than it is like schnitzel. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/169 "2023-06-11T09:28:11Z")
> Some food historians assert that chicken-fried steak is a descendant of Wiener schnitzel, a similar dish traditionally made with veal rather than beef that was brought to America by German immigrants who would eventually take it to Texas. > [Chicken-Fried Steak](https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/chicken-fried-steak) > Schnitzel is very similar to the dish _[escalope](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escalope)_ in [France](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France) and [Spain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain), _[panado](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panado)_ in [Portugal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal), _[tonkatsu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonkatsu)_ in [Japan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan), _[cotoletta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotoletta)_ in [Italy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy), _[kotlet schabowy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotlet_schabowy)_ in [Poland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland), _[milanesa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milanesa)_ in [Latin America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America), _chuleta valluna_ in [Colombia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia), and [chicken-fried steak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken-fried_steak) and [pork tenderloin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_tenderloin_sandwich) of the [United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States). > [Schnitzel - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schnitzel) > Chicken-fried steak resembles the Austrian dish _[Wiener schnitzel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_schnitzel)_ and the Italian dish _[cotoletta alla milanese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotoletta_alla_milanese)_, which is a tenderized [veal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veal) or [pork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork) cutlet, coated with [flour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flour), [eggs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_(food)), chicken stock cube, and bread crumbs, and then fried. It is also similar to the recipe for Scottish [collops](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collops). > [Chicken-fried steak - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken-fried_steak) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/170 "2023-06-11T10:31:51Z")
Cauliflower cheese is one that people (usually Americans) often tell me does not compute. It’s Cauliflower [in] cheese [sauce] - much like the way Spaghetti [with] Bolognese [sauce] is just ‘Spaghetti Bolognese’ If I respond, it’s usually to ask if ‘Grilled cheese’ is just a melted puddle of cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/171 "2023-06-11T11:31:46Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > If I respond, it’s usually to ask if ‘Grilled cheese’ is just a melted puddle of cheese. I despise people who say “grilled cheese” instead of “grilled cheese sandwich”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/172 "2023-06-11T11:47:05Z")
Halloumi cheese is a great grilled cheese. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/173 "2023-06-11T12:44:10Z")
So is leipäjuusto or juustoleipä (Finnish bread cheese). But yes, when talking about the sandwich, I always clarify that it is a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/174 "2023-06-11T13:12:47Z")
I have never cut myself on sharp cheddar cheese. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/175 "2023-06-11T13:30:48Z")
It can still be painful to the palate. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/176 "2023-06-11T14:29:43Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > I have never cut myself on sharp cheddar cheese. I’ve enjoyed some 30 year old cheddar more than once, and it is sharp enough to cut oneself on if one is not careful. Deliciously sharp and bright and crunchy all at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/177 "2023-06-11T18:09:49Z")
Yeah, I’ve had some tasty, but crunchy, cheddar. And I love a chicken fried steak that’s done properly. Sadly, a lot of places do it badly. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/178 "2023-06-11T21:07:29Z")
A hamburger doesn’t contain ham or a Hamburger (citizen of Hamburg) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/179 "2023-06-11T22:49:39Z")
It’s what it says it is, [steak pan fried like chicken](https://cattlemensrestaurant.com/what-is-chicken-fried-steak). ---
**Author:** ![Blindmellowjelly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindmellowjelly/32/13920_2.png) [@Blindmellowjelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blindmellowjelly)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/180 "2023-06-12T01:31:24Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Typically you’d deep-fry it in a cast iron skillet, then pour off most of the fat and make the gravy in the same pan, sprinkling in some flour to make a roux and then deglazing with milk and/or heavy cream. I wouldn’t say ‘deglazing’, you are “liasing a roux” to make a gravy or sauce. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092.md?page=10)