Steak Frites with Parm butter is a fancy not fancy meal that comes together in a snap ~ what’s not to love about juicy steak and oven roasted potatoes?
Steak with French fries is a simple bistro dish beloved all over France, but no less beloved right here in our kitchen. Pick up a steak and a couple of potatoes on your way home from work and this elegant meal can be on the table in about an hour. Serve steak frites with a bagged salad or frozen peas and you’ve got a classic European meal on a random weeknight. Kind of a perfect date night idea, too!
what you’ll need for steak frites (serves 2)
- 1 pound boneless steak like strip steak, 1-1 1/2 inch thick
- tender cuts like ribeye and filet mignon are also good for pan searing.
- 2 good sized Yukon Gold potatoes (about a lb)
- often steak frites will feature skinny little fries, but I prefer gutsy wedges ~ they’re called steak fries for a reason!
- sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, olive oil
Parmesan butter ~ a compound butter
One of my favorite things about having steak for dinner is deciding what to put on it. I love A1 (I’ve got a fantastic Homemade Steak Sauce recipe) and of course 30 Second Béarnaise Sauce is a great choice. Creamy Homemade Horseradish Sauce is a favorite of mine. But this parm butter is easy and just as delish.
Compound butter (French: beurre composé) is a mixture of butter and other flavoring ingredients. It is used to enhance the taste of dishes and can be customized with a wide variety of ingredients.
- salted butter
- Parmesan cheese
- garlic
how to cook steak without a grill
The beauty of steak frites is that you can cook it right in your kitchen ~ no grill or deep fryer required. For small boneless steaks like strip steak an easy way to cook is on a cast iron skillet right on the stove top* ~ you’ll get a wonderful sear on your meat and it comes out perfectly juicy.
- Take your steak out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking (I find 30 minutes is not enough time.) This allows the meat to come up to temperature and cook more evenly.
- Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Sear the steak, without moving it, on one side for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip and cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes, or until done to your liking:
- rare at 120-130°F for a cool red center
- medium-rare at 130-135°F for a warm red center
- medium at 135-145°F for a warm pink center
- medium-well at 145-155°F for a slightly pink center
- well-done at 155°F for no pink
- Finish thicker cuts in the oven (thicker than 1″ or so.) The pan can be transferred to a preheated 400F oven to finish cooking evenly throughout.
Note: Use your instant read thermometer to know for sure when it’s perfectly done. Here is the one I use and love.
the genius secret to crispy oven fries
With a simple meal like steak frites the fries have to be as fabulous as the steak. Here’s the method that works best for oven roasting potatoes of any kind:
Place a rack over a baking sheet, then arrange your olive oil and salt tossed potato wedges on top. Bake until golden and tender, about 35-45 minutes, no turning necessary! Cooking the potatoes on the rack allows the heat to get to all sides for fuss free roasting. Plus they don’t stick like they do on a sheet pan!
Try this secret with other types of oven roasted potatoes, it’s absolutely brilliant.
sides for steak frites
Steak frites can be a complete meal, but you might want a pop of green ~ to save time I’ll often serve frozen peas, frozen spinach, or a bagged salad. But for a fancier occasion try one of these:
- Green Beans Almondine
- Asparagus Gratin
- Green Goddess Coleslaw
- Creamed Brussels Sprouts
- Caesar Salad
- Green Goddess Wedge Salad
need drink pairings?
Steak frites is also popular in Belgium, where beer reigns supreme! A Belgian pale or dark ale would work well with this meal.
Red wine is also great with steak frites:
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Malbec
- Syrah/Shiraz
Steaks Frites with Parmesan Butter
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or other heavy duty oven safe skillet
- baking sheet with rack
- meat thermometer optional but handy. Buy here.
Ingredients
- 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, about a pound.
- 1 lb boneless steak like strip steak, about 1 – 1 1/2 inches thick.
- olive oil
- sea salt
Parmesan butter
- 4 Tbsp butter, room temperature
- 4 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic, grated or mashed
Instructions
to roast fries
- Preheat oven to 400F Place a metal rack over a baking sheet.
- Slice your potatoes, skin on, into spears ~ cut each potato in half lengthwise, then in half again, and then one more time to make 16 spears, total. Soak the spears in cold water for 30 minutes to remove some of the starch. Note: this step can be skipped in you're in a hurry.
- Drain and dry the potatoes well on a kitchen towel. Then put them in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil and a good pinch of sea salt or other coarse salt and toss well to coat all surfaces.
- Arrange the potatoes on the rack over your baking sheet. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until crisp and browned on the outside and tender inside. There is no need to flip them with this method. Your exact baking time will depend on the size of your potato wedges.
cooking steak
- Take your steak out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking (I find 30 minutes is not enough time.) This allows the meat to come up to temperature and cook more evenly.
- Measure the thickness of your steak. If it is 1" it will cook entirely on the stovetop. If it is 1 1/2 inches thick it's going to be best to finish it in a 400F oven.
- Rub your steak all over with olive oil and sea salt.
- Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat until hot. Sear the steak, without moving it, on one side for 3-4 minutes. Depending on your stove you may need to turn the heat down a bit.
- Flip and cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes, or until done to your liking: rare at 120-130°F for a cool red center, medium-rare at 130-135°F for a warm red center, medium at 135-145°F for a warm pink center, medium-well at 145-155°F for a slightly pink center, and well-done at 155°F for no pink.
- Finishing in oven for thicker cuts: the pan can be transferred to a 400F oven to finish cooking evenly throughout. Use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness.
- Let the steak rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to be redistributed within the meat.
- Serve the sliced steak topped with Parmesan butter.
to make Parmesan butter
- Stir together the soft butter, cheese, and garlic until smooth.
