Chicken Fried Steak With Creamy Milk Gravy

Gather the ingredients. Heat the oven to 200 F or the "keep warm" setting. Using the pointed side of a meat mallet, pound the steaks to tenderize them, then use the flat side of the mallet to pound them to about 1/4-inch thick. Pour the shortening or vegetable oil into a deep, heavy skillet to depth of about 1/2-inch to 1-inch. Heat the oil to 370 F. In a shallow bowl, mix the buttermilk and hot pepper sauce. In another shallow bowl or pie plate, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and mix well. Dip each steak in the buttermilk, then the flour mixture. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons of the flour mixture and set aside. Two at a time, deep fry the steaks, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the steaks paper towels to drain and then place on a rack in a baking pan. Put them in the preheated 200 F oven while you prepare the gravy. Discard all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. With skillet over low heat, whisk in reserved 1 1/2 tablespoons flour mixture. Stir until smooth and bubbly, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to cook the flour. Whisk in the milk and ground cayenne, if using. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the steak with the gravy.