Instructions

• Pat the 4 cube steaks dry with paper towels. Place one steak at a time between plastic wrap or in a zip-top bag and pound to about 1/4-inch (6 mm) thickness. Season both sides of each steak with the 1 teaspoon salt listed for seasoning.
• Set up a three-part dredging station: - Bowl A: 1 cup (120 g) cornstarch. - Bowl B: 1 large egg, 3/4 cup of the buttermilk (reserve the remaining 1/4 cup), and 1 tablespoon Tabasco (or other hot sauce). Whisk to combine. - Bowl C: 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Mix to combine.
• Pour the reserved 1/4 cup buttermilk into Bowl C (the dry flour mixture). Use your hands or a fork to rub the buttermilk into the flour mixture until it has a coarse, wet-sand texture and is evenly moistened. Set Bowl C aside.
• Working one steak at a time, dredge in this order: a. Coat the steak in cornstarch from Bowl A; shake off any excess. b. Dip the steak into the egg-buttermilk-hot sauce mixture in Bowl B; allow excess to drip off. c. Press the steak firmly into the flour mixture in Bowl C so the coating adheres well. Shake off any loose flour. Place each coated steak on a wire rack (set over a baking sheet) while you finish coating the rest.
• Pour oil for frying into a large, heavy skillet, Dutch oven, or wok to a depth of about 1/2 to 1 inch (enough for shallow frying). Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C) and monitor with a thermometer. Keep the oil temperature steady; adjust heat as needed.
• Fry the steaks one at a time (do not overcrowd the pan). Carefully add a steak to the hot oil and cook, turning once, until the crust is deep golden and crisp and the steak is cooked through, about 4–6 minutes total per steak. Timing will vary with pan size and oil temperature.
• Transfer each cooked steak to a clean wire rack set over paper towels to drain while you cook the remaining steaks. Reserve some of the frying oil and browned bits for the gravy (see next step).
• To make the gravy: pour about 1/4 cup of the reserved frying oil (use oil from the pan) into a medium saucepan and heat over medium. Whisk in 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute until the roux is lightly browned.
• Gradually whisk in 2 1/4 cups (530 ml) 2% milk. Continue whisking and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency, about 3–6 minutes.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove the gravy from the heat.
• Serve the hot gravy spooned over the chicken fried steaks.