Steak Frites Recipe

My steak frites pairs a pan-roasted New York strip, twice-fried russet potatoes, and a whipped lemon-herb butter that melts down the meat the second it leaves the pan. The whole plate hits the table in about 30 minutes. Bright, beefy, and crispy all at once.

I used to think of steak frites as a restaurant-only dish, the kind I would order on a Tuesday and then drive home thinking I could not pull off in my own kitchen. Then I started running the same play I would for a pan-seared ribeye steak or a holiday-table filet mignon, and the whole thing clicked. The trick is treating the fries and the steak like two timed line cooks instead of one stressed home cook. Once the timing lines up, this dish is honestly easier than most weeknight dinners, and the lemon-herb butter is the moment that ties it all together.

Steak Frites

Steak frites belongs to the long-running back-and-forth between Belgium and France over who deserves credit for fried potatoes. Both countries put their stamp on it, and somewhere along the line a Parisian brasserie put a steak next to a pile of those fries and called it a meal. That is the version most of us picture today, and that is the version I am cooking here.

When I was working the line in fine dining, the steak frites order looked deceptively simple on the ticket and was one of the more demanding plates in the section because every part had to land hot, crisp, and rested at the exact same moment. The way I make it at home now follows that rhythm: butter first because it can sit out, fries blanched and parked on a sheet tray, then steak and second-fry running in parallel. Use any cut you like, swap in Pommes Frites the way I cut them, dress it up with Maître D’ Butter if lemon-herb is not your move.

If you have been putting off steak frites at home because it seemed like a restaurant-only move, make this recipe once and the whole idea collapses. One strip and a handful of fries scales down to a Tuesday dinner for two. Bump it to four steaks and a heavy basket of potatoes and the kitchen turns into a brasserie on a Friday night. The first time the timing clicks, with rested steak under a slab of melting butter and fries hitting the bowl with a steady hand of salt, you stop reaching for the reservation app and start cooking this dish at home.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The whole point of steak frites is balance, so each part of this list does one specific job: butter for richness and acid, potatoes for crunch, beef for the main event, and aromatics for the basting that makes the steak taste like a restaurant plate.

• Butter – I made lemon-herb butter for these steak frites using fresh rosemary, thyme, green onions, and garlic. Other compound butters that will work are cowboy butter or my easy roasted garlic butter.
• Steak – You can use flank steak, skirt steak, strip sirloin, top sirloin, filet mignon, T-bone, Porterhouse, or hanger steak.
• Fat – Avocado or olive oil works well. You can also sear the steak in ghee, clarified butter, or beef tallow.
• Herbs – I sear the steak with fresh thyme sprigs for flavor. You can also use fresh rosemary or sage.
• Garlic – Smashed garlic cloves add a lot of flavor to the steak when cooking it.
• Butter – I always use unsalted butter to control the sodium content. I use this when basting the steak.
• Fries – Regular russet potatoes are best. I used my Pommes Frites recipe for this dish.

How to Make Steak Frites

Whip the butter: I add softened butter to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and run it on medium-high for 5 to 7 minutes until it goes pale, doubles in volume, and looks light and fluffy.

Build the lemon-herb butter: With the mixer running on low, I add minced rosemary, minced thyme, sliced green onions, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix until streaky, scrape the bowl, and run again until the herbs are dispersed all the way through. Taste it. If it needs more salt, add it now. Pack it into a container and hold at room temperature while you cook.

Cut and rinse the potatoes: I square off the russets, slice them into planks, stack the planks, and cut thin batons so every fry is the same size. I drop them into a bowl of cold water as you go and work them with your hands to pull starch out. Drain, rinse under the tap until the water runs clear, and drain again.

Blanch the fries at 300°F: Heat the oil to 300°F. I add the potatoes in batches and cook about 3 minutes. They will be cooked through but still pale. Pull them, lay them on a parchment-lined sheet tray, and leave them. They can sit like this for several hours.

Sear the steak: Pat the strips dry and season hard with coarse salt and pepper from a foot above the meat so the seasoning falls in a wide, even pattern. Heat a large heavy pan on high with a film of olive oil until it is just smoking. Lay the steaks in away from you, drop the heat to medium, and let them go untouched for 2 to 3 minutes to build the crust.

Baste with butter, garlic, and thyme: I flip the steaks, then drop in the thyme sprigs, the smashed garlic cloves, and cubed butter. Tilt the pan toward you and spoon the foaming butter over the steak for 2 to 4 more minutes, depending on thickness.

Rest the steak and second-fry the fries: I move the steak to a board to rest 3 to 4 minutes. While it rests, crank the oil to 350°F and drop the blanched fries back in for about 3 more minutes, until they are deep golden brown and crisp. Toss them in a bowl with a steady hand of coarse salt while rocking the bowl so every fry gets seasoned.

Slice and butter: Lay a generous spoon of the lemon-herb butter on top of the rested steak so it starts to melt down the sides. Slice the strip across the grain, plate the slices next to the basket of fries,

Serve: I like serving right away while the butter is still pooling. Enjoy it!

Serving Suggestions

Sunday nights at our place sometimes turn into bistro nights. I throw a board of sliced strip and a basket of fries in the middle of the kitchen island. A simple green summer salad with a balsamic vinaigrette is all this needs alongside, because the plate already has fat, acid, and crunch covered.

If I am cooking for my my friends or family, I like placing a small ramekin of homemade Béarnaise sauce on the side so people can dip the steak and the fries both, a move I picked up working the line and have never let go of. Whatever you do, get the plates on the table while the butter is still melting down the steak.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: The lemon-herb butter can be made up to 3 days ahead and held in the fridge, or rolled into a log and frozen for up to 3 months. The fries can be cut and held in cold water in the fridge for up to 3 days, then drained and rinsed before cooking. Steak is best seasoned and cooked the day of, but you can pull it from the fridge and pat it dry 30 to 45 minutes before searing.

How to Store: Cover any leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The fries will not stay crisp once they are wrapped, so store the steak and the potatoes separately if you have a choice.

How to Reheat: This dish is meant to be eaten hot off the pan. If you have to reheat the steak, sear it briefly in a hot pan with a film of oil until just warmed through, no longer. For the fries, spread them on a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake at 350°F for 3 to 6 minutes, or refry at 350°F for 1 to 2 minutes until crisp.

How to Freeze: Skip the freezer for cooked steak or cooked fries, because both lose their texture on the thaw. The lemon-herb butter, on the other hand, freezes great for up to 3 months in a sealed log of parchment and foil.

More Amazing Steak Recipes

• Steak Pizzaiola
• Florentine Steak
• T-Bone Recipe
• New York Strip
• Beef Braciole