-
Prep time
12 hours
-
Cook time
45 minutes
-
Serves
4
Author Notes
Who doesn’t love a steak-and-potatoes dinner? There are so many variations of this combination, but my favorite is the French bistro classic, steak frites. Crispy, hand-cut fries are my weakness and, when you pair it with a great steak, well, that’s a match made in heaven.
Steak frites can go a lot of ways: a modest cut like sirloin seasoned with herbs and butter; a more elevated filet mignon dusted with porcini powder and served with truffle fries. When I was considering my take on steak frites, I wanted to keep it simple but zhuzh up certain elements, creating a recipe that scored high on all the flavor points.
The frites verte (French green fries) are definitely the star here. Hand-cut fries are tossed with a sauce verte, a punchy salsa verde featuring Calabrian chilies, garlic, capers, parsley, and sherry vinegar. It’s a great way to cut through the richness of the dish. For the crispiest French fries, soak the cut potatoes overnight in the refrigerator. (Or, in a pinch, soak the potatoes for at least an hour in ice cold water.) This draws out the excess potato starch, creating a crackly outside and pillowy inside.
The rib-eye steak is seasoned generously with smoked black pepper. If you’ve never used this ingredient before, let me officially say, you’re welcome! It's coarsely ground and ready to impart a subtle smokiness in any recipe without the hassle of the grill. (After making this steak frites, try smoked pepper on any meat or vegetable, especially in a spice rub.)
This recipe is easy enough for a Tuesday night, yet upscale enough for your next dinner date. Top the steak with an over-easy egg for a perfect brunch, or add a simple side salad for an elegant lunch or dinner. Any time, any place, any season—there will never be a time when steak frites won’t be a showstopper. —ChefKat
Ingredients
- Ribeye Steak With Smoked Black Pepper
-
4
(8-ounce) rib-eye or strip steaks, or your favorite cut
-
Kosher salt
-
Ground smoked black pepper
-
1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
-
1 tablespoon
grapeseed oil
- Frites Verte
-
4
large russet potatoes (about 2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1/4x1/4x3–inch matchsticks
-
1/2 cup
flat-leaf parsley, minced
-
1
medium shallot, finely minced
-
1
large clove garlic, grated on a microplane
-
1 tablespoon
capers, minced into a paste
-
2 teaspoons
Calabrian chile paste
-
2 teaspoons
sherry vinegar
-
Juice of half a lemon
-
Kosher salt
-
Freshly ground black pepper
-
2 quarts
canola, vegetable, or peanut oil, for frying
Directions
- Ribeye Steak With Smoked Black Pepper
-
Allow steaks to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pat-dry the steaks and season generously all over with salt and smoked black pepper.
-
Heat the oven to 400°F.
-
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the butter and grapeseed oil to the skillet. Once the butter has melted, add the steaks and sear until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn the steaks over and transfer the skillet to the oven. Finish cooking the steak to your desired doneness—for medium-rare, an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part should register 125°F, about 4 minutes. Remove the steak from the oven and place on a cutting board. Let the steaks rest for at least 5 minutes before serving with the Frites Verte (below).
- Frites Verte
-
Soak the cut potatoes in water overnight in the refrigerator, or for at least 1 hour in ice-cold water.
-
Make the sauce verte: Combine the parsley, shallot, garlic, capers, chile paste, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover until ready to use.
-
Cook the frites: Heat the oven to 200°F. Set a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and place next to the stovetop. Pour the oil into a deep fryer or large, heavy pot with a deep-fry thermometer. Heat the oil to 300°F degrees. Line a half-sheet pan with a layer of kitchen towels. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then spread them out evenly on the lined sheet pan. Use additional towels to pat the top of the potatoes to make sure they are dried thoroughly. Working in batches, blanch the potatoes in the hot oil until they are just cooked through but not browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Monitor the oil temperature so it does not dip below 300°F. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the blanched potatoes from the oil and place them on the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
-
After blanching all the potatoes, increase the heat until the oil temperature registers between 375 to 400°F. Working in batches, fry as many blanched potatoes as will fit for 3 to 5 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Monitor the oil temperature so it does not dip below 350°F. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the frites from the oil and place in a large bowl. Immediately toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the sauce verte. Repeat the process with the remaining potatoes. Feel free to serve extra sauce verte on top of the steak, or refrigerate for up to a week.
See what other Food52ers are saying.