Steak Frites
What You’ll Need:
- 1 sirloin or rump (or other steak with a nice amount of fat) per person
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
- freshly ground pepper
- sea salt
- 1 large baking potato per person
- beef tallow or lard, for deep-frying (here’s why you want to use it, too– besides being delicious)
- in terms of equipment, you’ll need a grill pan, a pot for frying, paper towels, and a candy thermometer
What to Do:
- Peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick sticks. Soak in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes.
- Make the Bleu Cheese Compound Butter (recipe below), if using.
- In a deep-fryer or a pot, heat 3 inches of lard or tallow to 325°. Drain the potatoes and dry them well on a clean kitchen towel. Divide the potatoes into batches (1 potato per batch) and fry each batch until they begin to look just slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried potatoes to paper towels to drain.
- Put the grill pan over medium-high heat. Season the steaks with salt and pepper, and melt some butter in the pan. When it’s really hot, put your steaks on. (Only two at a time, or else it will drop the temperature too much.) Don’t move them around, just let them sit there, for about 5 minutes for 1-inch thick. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes for medium-rare. I take the time to also sear the fat cap on one side of the steak– I just hold it on its side with tongs until the fat is golden and tasty-looking.
- Reheat the frying fat to 375°. This is the part where you get the outsides of the fries nice and crispy. Fry the potatoes until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the frites to fresh paper towels to drain. They should finish about the same time as the steaks. If they are done a little earlier, then just put them on a pan in a hot oven (400º F) until you are ready to serve them. Don’t forget to salt them.
Serve the steaks with garlic butter or bleu cheese compound butter (recipe below) and a green salad with some sharper greens like arugula or mustard. I like to add radicchio or some other bitter elements, as well. This will help you handle the fat in this meal better. Dress it with a classic French Vinaigrette (recipe below). I also like to top the salad with slices of red onion, but I always soak the sliced onions first in salted water to diminish their strength a little (and save our breath a lot).
Bleu Cheese Compound Butter
Compound butter is one of those “secret weapons” I try to have in the fridge or freezer at all times. I first came across it at a favorite restaurant, where they were serving it just to spread on their homemade bread. I love to add a pat to steak, and this bleu cheese version is a must for Steak Frites. I like to put it on steamed vegetables, and it works as a nice little butter sauce on just about anything. You could also add it to the pan before sautéing mushrooms, or even making scrambled eggs. This is one of those things that has as many uses as you can think of! The variations on this theme are also unlimited.
This is just one version, and you can switch up the herbs, seasonings and acids to make new combinations.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons bleu cheese, like roquefort or stilton
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives, optional
What to Do:
- Put all ingredients into a bowl, and whisk, until everything is well blended. Drop several spoonfuls onto parchment paper and flatten with the back of a spoon, and put in the fridge to firm up in time to use on your steak. The rest you can store for future use.
- You can store this by putting the butter in a glass container, or by rolling it into a log in parchment paper, cutting slices off when you need it. It will keep for about two weeks in the fridge.
Classic French Vinaigrette
This vinaigrette is made at least weekly in our house. It’s the perfect quick dressing for a fresh green salad (preferably with very thinly sliced radishes in it) and to marinate warm, boiled leeks for a wonderful side dish. (Makes about 1/3 cup)
What You’ll Need
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 3- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- you will need an immersion blender or a regular blender
What to Do:
- Put all ingredients into the cylinder work bowl
for an immersion blender and process until creamy. (You can do this in a standard blender, as well– but will need to double or triple the recipe so there is enough bulk to flow around the blades properly.) - Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
Store in a tightly sealed glass bottle in the fridge– it will last for up to a week.
Now, put on some music. Assemble your meal – steak topped with compound butter, super-crisp fries, your lovely salad. Bring out some ketchup, and maybe some mayonnaise, if that is how you like your fries. Sit down, take your time, pour a glass or two of wine, and enjoy your very fine meal. Make it a celebration. Bon appetite!
