How To Make Sure The Components Of Steak Frites Are Done At The Same Time

Steak frites — a traditional meal born in France that sounds fancy but is really just a plate of two of our favorite foods: steak and french fries. While there are tons of nuances to ensure a perfect outcome, like using the best cut of meat for steak frites or starting the fries in cold oil, we wanted to learn more about how to cook the dish so that both the meat and the fries are done at the same time. To do this, Food Republic spoke with Patrick Swetnam, chef at De Baca Steakhouse in College Station, Texas to find out more.

According to chef Swetnam, there are various tricks to get the job done. For instance, once you've cooked your steak to your desired temperature, he said to "drop the fries and cook them fresh for optimum crispiness and freshness. Resting the steak for three and half minutes will result in a juicier steak, preventing the flavors from bleeding out." 

When it comes to the sauce you're serving with your dish, traditionally many people opt for creamy peppercorn sauce or a bearnaise. "Sauces, in a professional kitchen, are heated ahead of time and kept ready to go in a temperature-controlled steam table for perfect finishing system for the steak plate, [but] sauces can absolutely be prepared in advance and set to rest in a pot to be reheated at home under low heat to make sure it does not scorch or burn," Swetnam explained.

When it comes to the perfect steak frites, the fries are half of that equation. According to Patrick Swetnam, the ideal fries "are all about thickness and crispy contrast to a tender, juicy steak." When it comes to making them, though, you don't want to just cut your fries into the ideal quarter-inch thickness and fry them once. Instead, he suggested double-frying them after they've been rinsed in cold water and dried.

"Once dried, they are flash-fried in 400-degree frying oil for 2 minutes — but not until brown at all. (This creates the sear and blanching for inside of the potatoes.) The fries are then placed on a large pan with towels to help absorb excess oil from the blanching phase, and popped into the [refrigerator]," Swetnam instructed.

While the fries are cooling down, you can cook your steak to your preferred doneness. Once you're ready to let the meat rest, Swetnam suggests doing so at room temperature — preferably "on a room-temperature metal vessel," like a baking sheet. While that's resting, you then finish up your fries. "Once cooled, [the fries] are prepped and ready for the final golden-brown frying stage and seasoned to perfection right when they come out of the fryer," Swetnam noted. 

All that's left to do is enjoy your feast. And this way, everything will be at the exact perfect temperature.