Ingredients
Steak
- 2steaks of about 250 g: entrecôte, bavette or onglet
- salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbspneutral oil
- 30 gbutter
- 2 clovesgarlic, crushed
- 1 sprigthyme
Frites
- 1 kgfloury potatoes, Bintje or Maris Piper
- beef dripping or neutral oil, for frying
- salt
Maître d’hôtel butter
- 80 gbutter, softened
- 2 tbspchopped parsley
- juice of half a lemon
- salt and pepper
To serve
- green salad with mustard vinaigrette
- béarnaise or peppercorn sauce, optional
- red wine
Directions
- Start with the potatoes, since they take longest. Use a floury potato, Bintje in Belgium or Maris Piper elsewhere, never a waxy one. Peel them and cut them into batons of about 1 cm square. Cut them evenly. Now soak them in cold water for at least an hour, changing the water once.
- Heat the fat to 140°C (285°F) and cook the chips for 6 to 8 minutes. They should soften completely without taking any colour at all. Lift them out and spread them on a rack to cool completely.
- Let them cool for at least 30 minutes, and chilling them is better still. They can sit for hours at this stage, which is exactly how restaurants manage service.
- Lay the steak in and do not move it for 2 to 3 minutes. Leave it alone. Turn it once, add the butter, garlic and thyme, and baste continuously with the foaming butter. Cook to your preference, and for bavette or onglet do not go past medium rare. Now rest the steak for as long as you cooked it, at least 5 minutes.
- Cut immediately, the juices run out onto the plate; rested, they redistribute through the meat. Rest it on a warm plate, loosely covered, and use the resting time for the second fry.
- Heat the fat to 190°C (375°F) and fry the chips again for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crisp. Fry in small batches, since a big handful drops the oil temperature immediately. Drain them, tip them into a bowl and salt them at once.
- Salt them the second they come out, while the surface is still oily, or the salt will not stick. Slice bavette and onglet across the grain. Serve the steak with a disc of maître d’hôtel butter melting on top, the chips piled alongside, and a sharply dressed green salad.
Technique
- Belgian frites are traditionally fried in beef dripping, which is what gives them their flavour.
- Onglet and bavette are the classic bistro cuts and are cheaper and more flavourful than fillet.
- The chips can be blanched hours in advance, which is how it is managed at home.
Substitutions
- Any well-marbled steak, adjusting cooking time to thickness.
- Neutral oil in place of beef dripping.
Variations
- With béarnaise sauce.
- With a peppercorn cream sauce.
- Belgian style, with the frites in a cone and mayonnaise.
History
The brasserie standard of steak and thin fries, claimed by both Paris and Brussels, spread across France with nineteenth-century café culture.
Frequently asked questions
What is Steak frites?
Steak frites is a main from France: seared steak with crisp fries, the bistro standard. The brasserie standard of steak and thin fries, claimed by both Paris and Brussels, spread across France with nineteenth-century café culture.
How long does Steak frites take to make?
Steak frites takes 30 min plus 1 hr soaking of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 2 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Steak frites?
Yes, within limits. Any well-marbled steak, adjusting cooking time to thickness. Neutral oil in place of beef dripping.
What is the most important thing to get right in Steak frites?
Start with the potatoes, since they take longest. Use a floury potato, Bintje in Belgium or Maris Piper elsewhere, never a waxy one. Peel them and cut them into batons of about 1 cm square. Cut them evenly. Now soak them in cold water for at least an hour, changing the water once.
