Almost the same thing, but the difference is in the coating, if these folks are to be believed: http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa980222.htm
Of the two that I've had...chicken fried steak usually has a more substantial "crust" (I don't know if that's the right term), while country fried steak doesn't. I prefer chicken fried steak!!! Now I'm hungry!!!
A meaningless distinction. Both names for the same thing, and there's a thousand different recipes for it.
If the waitress comes up and calls you "hon" it's chicken fried steak. If the waiter introduces himself and says he'll be your waiter tonite, it's country-fried and $5 more expensive.
I'm of the opinion that Chicken-fried is similar to fried chicken in that there is a crispy thicker crust on the outside. Country-fried has a thiner, darker outside. Maybe. Oh also, sometimes chicken-friend is deepfried (I know thats how my auntie used to fry chicken at least) whilst country-fried is pan-fried. Its really meaningless for the most part (maybe not) because my mother fries chicken in a pan, so...
Chicken fried steak is a beef cutlet deep fried and served with white gravy. Country fried steak is the mystery meat (made famous in Jr High cafeterias) that is breaded and covered in brown gravy. I'll take the chicken fried version. I've had the chicken fried version in Texas and recently had the other stuff in Illinois. I ordered the country fried steak thinking that the two were similar.
Around here it's the same thing, what you call it depends on if you're from the city or the country. I say Chicken-fried because that's what my customers say.
Gross gross gross. I haven't seen a chicken fried steak in 20 years and I'm all the better for it. The though of deep fried steak is repellent.
In Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdaine said that sometimes when people order steaks well done, they get dunked in the fryer for a while.
That's a good policy. Anyone who orders their steak well done should get dunked in a deep fryer. Fry some sense into them.
I agree. But the stuff in "chicken-fried steak" isn't really steak, now is it. It's beef, mostly I think... dip it, cook it, smother it in that white gravy, yum yum, yum.