Steak and a little extra

When Lisa and I decided that it was time to finally share a steak recipe, it was really hard to figure out exactly what we would do. When you explore any cooking blogs or YouTube channels, one thing is clear: steak is probably in the top search results. Unless you have dietary or religion-based restrictions, I have a feeling you love it, too. The hard part was picking a cut, how to cook it, and if we should also include a side or a sauce we particularly love. If you read my last blog about how I fell in love with cooking, I mentioned it was all from tasting Béarnaise sauce for the first time. Well, that remains true, but I had it with Chateaubriand, the center cut of the beef tenderloin. I can't imagine I wouldn't still love the sauce on some nicely cooked asparagus, but the meat really put it over the top. Although really great cuts of beef, like New York Strip and Porterhouse, could take the spotlight, I, in my heart, felt the obligation to make something with a Ribeye, the king of all steaks.

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So yes, cooking up a ribeye on the grill or in a cast iron pan, seasoned with salt and pepper, would be fine, but what goes with steak? Fill in the blank, "meat and _____." Potatoes, of course. Fries in our case.

Steak Frites is something you can enjoy at a bar, a fancy restaurant, and of course, your dining room table. If I see it on a menu at a dive bar, I'm likely to order it. If I see it at a brunch place, yep, I'm ordering it. Five-star steakhouse? Maybe, but definitely if I've been at least two times. The delicious fattiness of beef fat and crunchy saltiness of fries is a winning combination. What's missing? Something acidic for sure.

The first choice, and the one we went with, is chimichurri. I'll be honest, the first time I had chimichurri was less than ten years ago. Lisa and I, when we're feeling a little fancy, go to a local steak and seafood restaurant in our town, Salt & Iron. There, sitting at the cocktail bar during happy hour, we got a plate of frites with a side of chimichurri in a small metal ramekin. It was a soup of roughly chopped herbs swimming in an emulsion of olive oil. Side note - I've had it puréed into a much smoother sauce, but it loses almost all of its character and simply isn't nearly as good. Despite the appearance, I dove in and was immediately greeted with the twang of red vinegar mixed with the fresh herbs and the robustness of oregano. Chimichurri is from Argentina, land of steaks, and I am not surprised that it goes well with more than fries.

So, Steak Frites with a side of Chimichurri. It’s one of those recipes that is a perfect symphony of textures and flavors. Not too fancy, not too unapproachable, and delivers way more than you ask of it. Below are two recipes for the fries we made, as well as the sauce. We have a video coming out soon where we make this and I talk a little bit more in depth. And if you make this with chimichurri, a nice compound butter, or even some steak sauce, you’ll always be happy you did. Just don't leave out the fries.