1. In a shallow mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Place aside.
2. Whisk together buttermilk, TABASCO® Sauce, and eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Place aside.
3. Using a paper towel, pat dry the cube steaks to remove as much moisture as possible. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow for 5 minutes before patting dry with a paper towel.
4. Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, then in the buttermilk-egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, and then in the flour mixture again, shaking off excess.
5. Place the breaded cube steaks on a sheet pan or metal rack and press any remaining flour mixture into the cube steaks, making sure to coat the entire steak. Allow for a 10-minute resting period.
6. Preheat the oven to 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy skillet over medium high heat. The amount of oil required is determined by the size of your skillet. It should be about 1/4-inch deep. We’re not deep frying the steaks, but rather shallow frying them.
8. Drop a small amount of breading into the oil to test it. Around the breading, the oil should sizzle and bubble. About 320-340 degrees F, the oil should be glistening but not smoking. We’re now ready to fry.
9. Fry two steaks at a time in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. If you flip the breading more than once, it will fall off. Fry no more than two steaks at a time, or the pan will become too crowded and the breading will fall off.
10. Remove the steaks from the pan and place them on paper towels to drain. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Reduce the heat to medium in the skillet.

Gravy for Chicken Fried Steak

1. Fill a heat-safe bowl or glass measuring cup halfway with the remaining grease (I used my Pyrex). Scrape the skillet clean, but don’t empty it. We want all of those delicious bits to stay in the skillet so they can flavor the gravy.
2. Return 4 tablespoons of the hot skillet’s grease.
3. Whisk in the flour and continue to whisk for two to three minutes, or until the mixture is nice and golden brown.
4. Slowly drizzle in about 2 1/2 cups of the cream and milk into the skillet, whisking constantly. It may appear a little crazy at first, but it will all come together.
5. Continue to whisk while bringing the gravy to a simmer. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the gravy is smooth and creamy. If the gravy becomes too thick, add a splash more milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Mine didn’t require any salt, but it did require a LOT of pepper!)
6. Serve with chicken fried steak. Enjoy!