Steak frites
A seared strip steak topped with melting garlic herb butter and a pile of crispy fries, the Paris bistro classic at home.
- 50 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 2
- About $12.36 a serving
- 1120 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 2 New York strip steak, about 1 inch thick
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ lemon, zested
- 12 oz frozen French fries
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, for dipping (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 1120 calories, 76 g protein, 42 g carbs and 73 g fat, and costs about $12.36 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No New York strip steak? Ribeye steak or sirloin steak works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Take the steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, them dry, and both sides with most of the salt and the pepper.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Season. Seasoning means adding salt, pepper or spices to bring out a food’s flavor. A little at a few stages tastes better than a lot all at the end.
How you’ll know: When you taste it, it tastes bright and like itself, not flat and not salty.
Timer: 30 min
Mash the soft butter with the garlic, parsley, lemon zest and of salt, and put it in the fridge.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
While the steaks sit, the oven and the fries as the package says, usually 20 to 25 minutes at 425°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 22 min
Dolly’s tip: Start the steak when the fries have about 12 minutes left, and everything lands at the same time.Heat the oil in a large heavy over medium-high until it . the steaks 4 minutes without moving them, until a dark crust forms.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Shimmering oil. Oil shimmers when it’s hot enough to cook: its surface looks rippled and wavy, like heat over a road. That’s your cue to add the food, just before the oil would start to smoke.
How you’ll know: The oil looks wavy and runs thin like water when you tilt the pan, with no smoke yet.
Sear. Searing means cooking the outside of meat or fish in a hot pan, without moving it, until a deep brown crust forms. The crust is packed with flavor, and it only forms on a dry surface.
How you’ll know: It sizzles loudly the moment it goes in, and it lets go of the pan on its own when the crust is ready.
Medium-high heatTimer: 4 min
Flip and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, until the middle reads 145°F. Move the steaks to a board and 5 minutes.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Medium-high heatTimer: 5 min
Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
Tip the hot fries into a bowl and them with of salt right away, while they’re still glistening.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Top each steak with a thick spoonful of the herb butter, pile the fries alongside, and serve with mustard for dipping.
Dolly’s tip: The butter melts into the steak juices on the plate. Drag your fries through it.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
