Chicken Fried Steak with Sausage Gravy

Ingredients

For the gravy:

3 ounces pork breakfast sausage, removed from the casing
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose, flour
1 1/3 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the steak:

3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 (6-ounce) cube steaks

Directions

1. For the gravy, heat a 2-quart saucepan over medium. Add the sausage and cook, breaking into small crumbles, until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the butter and cook until melted, 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, whisking, until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper; keep warm.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Preheat the oven to 225°F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet.
3. Combine the buttermilk, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cayenne pepper in a large shallow bowl. Place the flour on a large plate. Season the steaks with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working one at a time, dredge both sides of a steak in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the buttermilk mixture, shaking off excess then dredge once again in the flour. Carefully add the steak to the skillet and repeat with a second steak. Cook, turning once or twice, until cooked through and browned, 6-8 minutes. Transfer steaks to the wire rack over the baking sheet and set in the oven to keep hot. Repeat with the remaining 2 steaks.
4. Place a steak onto each of 4 serving plates and spoon gravy over the top to serve.