• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on it. Spray the rack with nonstick spray and set aside
• Place cube steaks in a bowl and sprinkle with baking soda, then toss to coat.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
• Take the beef out and rinse with cold water. Place on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towel.
• In a small bowl combine ½ teaspoon salt with ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
• Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and black pepper mixture.
• Place saltine crackers in your food processor and pulse to fine crumbs.
• Mix flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper in one shallow dish, place crushed crackers in another dish, and beat eggs with milk and a pinch of black pepper in a third one.
• Dip on piece of steak in flour, shake off excess flour then dip into egg mixture.
• Take the steak out of the egg and press into the crackers to coat completely.
• Place on the wire rack on the baking sheet.
• Continue with all the pieces then refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile preheat oven to 350F.
• Heat about two cups of frying oil in a frying pan and fry steak until golden brown on both sides.
• Place fried steak on the wire rack again.
• Turn oven heat off and place the baking sheet in with the fried steaks.

Make the Sawmill gravy:

• Wait for 5-10 minutes until the frying pan cools down, then place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl.
• Carefully pour the contents of the frying pan through the sieve.
• You’ll end up with cooked bits in the sieve and the frying oil in the bowl.
• Reserve Two tablespoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon of the cooked bits.
• Wipe the frying pan with a paper towel.
• Place pan again over medium heat and melt butter with the reserved oil add in the reserved cooked bits and flour.
• Whisk until flour disappears then slowly whisk in half and half or milk.
• Cook until sauce thickens then taste to adjust salt, black pepper and hot sauce.
• Take the steak out of the oven and serve with a generous amount of gravy.
• Garnish with chopped parsley.