The Impatient Chef Recipe: Steak Frites

Steak Frites

Heart Attack?  Why Thank you.

While I'm planning (putting off) some of the major projects that I should be working on for this blog, I find that in a pinch, simple ingredients and cast iron can produce a post with both French cachet, and NASCAR dad appeal.  I merely throw a monkey wrench into it by using purple potatoes.

The unusual suspects

Cut the potatoes into strips.  Use a knife.  Any questions?

Get the steak out of the refrigerator at least a half an hour before cooking. That way the center of the steak will be at room temperature when it hits the pan.  Oh, and buy good steaks.  If you pay less than $15.00 per pound (full price) for a Ribeye or New York Strip, you're buying dog food.

Make sure that the steaks are as dry on the exterior as possible.  I use a paper towel or two.

I use a dry rub.  This helps further dry the exterior, and provides flavor.  My dry rub of choice is an obscure spice mixture from Buck's Seasonings in Mallory, NY.  It's called "Buck's Zestier BBQ."  They don't cater to the retail market, so you have to buy quantity.  I buy a 5 pound bag every couple years.  It goes good on everything (we tried it on ice cream once just for giggles.  It was good).  Use the rub of your choice.  Rub it on both sides.

Dry Rub and the Meat!

I make a couple incisions into the fat around the edges so that the steak won't dish while cooking.  The fat will shrink, and can lift part of the meat away from the pan.  This isn't as big of a problem on the barbecue.

Back to the fries:  I deep fry my fries in a large, cast iron dutch oven.  I lucked into a 5 gallon jug of fryer oil on clearance recently.  It's half peanut oil, and half canola.  I would use all peanut oil, but I spent that money on the steaks.  I place the fries into the cold oil, and then turn it on.  It's a technique I learned from America's Test Kitchen a few years back.  It works well.

I start the fries cooking first, and turn on the steak pan soon after.  I cook to medium rare.  With the fryer oil set to 8 (of 10) on the burner, and the steak pan set to 6, the steaks (usually at about 1 1/2 inch thick) need to hit the hot pan about 5 minutes after the fries are started.  Depending on the thinness of the steaks, I may wait a couple more minutes before starting the steak pan.

I fry the steaks in bacon grease.

Now, that's cooking with gas!

I save bacon grease after making bacon.  I never dump it down the drain.  You shouldn't either; not only because it's great for steaks, and burgers, but also because it stops up municipal sewer pipes. If you don't want to use it, let it cool in the pan, and then scrape it into the trash, or put it out for birds.  They love it, especially in the winter.

Get the steak pan good and hot before putting the steaks in. The grease (or oil) should start smoking just a little.

I used to flip the steaks often.  I don't do that anymore.  There is no truth to the rumor that searing quickly on both sides seals in juices.  For these steaks, I set a timer for 13 minutes. With 6 minutes left, I flipped them.  They had a good sear on both sides when they were done, and they were perfect medium rare.  I used to use touch to tell how done my steaks were, but my restaurant days ended 20 years ago, and that skill has atrophied.  I time them now.  Learn what time it takes to cook your steaks by desired doneness, and thickness with the meat at room temperature, and you won't go wrong.

You'll know that the fries are done when they float.  You should also hear a faint chirping from the oil. Fish one out, preferrably a thick one, and let it cool for a few seconds, and test it for crispness.  I leave them in for a short time after they start floating to get them nicely crispy.

When the desired crunch is achieved for the fries, and the steaks are done, plate them, salt the fries, and eat heartily.

Then walk a few miles.  It couldn't hurt.