Would you like fries with that? If your answer is yes, but you secretly, or not-so-secretly, want to taste more potato with a bit less crunch than you expect in an order of McD's-style shoestrings, or classic 1/2"-thick 3"-4"-long, square-tipped, box-cut, twice-fried French fries: the plump and planky, skin-on-or-off steakhouse-style steak-fry is for you. Not to be confused with steak-frites, a French dish consisting of a pan-fried rib-eye steak served with classic French fries, steak fries are an all-American term referring to thick-cut fries -- more similar to Britain's wedge-cut chips.
When I was growing up, we adored my dad's round steak fries.
My dad thought outside the box. If there was an easier way to do a task and still get the ideal end result, he'd find it. Dad came up with his own time-saving version of steak fries for our family of four and we adored them. He'd pop a few T-bone steaks in the oven under the broiler, and, while they sizzled away, he would peel and slice four Russet potatoes into 1/2"-thick discs -- FYI: potatoes can be peeled and disced in lots less time than it takes to peel and plank-cut potatoes.
Into a 14" skillet of 1/2"-deep corn oil the potatoes went. They fried until light-golden on both sides, 12-14 total minutes. Once transferred to a paper-towel-lined plate, he seasoned them ASAP with a 1:1 mixture of garlic salt and onion salt.
If the end justifies the means, think outside the box.
The apple-of-my-dad's eye didn't fall far from his steak-fry tree.
Use your own or any seasoning blend -- steak fries play well with almost anything one can conjure up. If you'd like to add some herby flavor to the oil too, simply place a few whole sprigs of fresh herbs in the oil as it is heating up on the stovetop, then remove the sprigs just before adding the potatoes. That said, I wasn't lying when I said my steak fries were superbly-seasoned. Garlic salt and onion salt are sublime -- they go with everything. As for potatoes, over-time, I've decided Yukon gold potatoes, left unpeeled and cut into 1/2"-thick planks, deliver more flavor and a tenderer texture than the Russet. My cooking method remains the same as my dad's: the skillet.
Everybody into the skillet. Deep-frying requires frying twice, &, oven-roasting takes too long for such a lack-luster result.
Into a 10" skillet of 1/2"-deep corn oil drop two, large, skin-on Gold potatoes, cut to a thickness of approximately 1/2". Fry until light-golden on all sides, 10-12 minutes, turning/tossing frequently with a spatula and/or fork. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and lightly-season ASAP with a 1:1 mixture of garlic salt and onion salt.
Would you like steak sauce with your steak fries?
Superbly-Seasones Steakhouse-Style Steak Fries: Recipe yields instructions to make two types steak-fries (round Russets or planked Yukons), in an appropriately-sized skillet/ 2-4 servings.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; appropriately-sized skillet (10" skillet = 2 potatoes, 2 servings. 14" skillet, 4 potatoes, 4 servings); fork and/or spatula; paper towels
Cook's Note: Great skillet-fried steak fries deserve a great steak -- preferably cooked in a grill-pan. In my kitchen, that's ~ The Perfect 12-13-Minute, 2"-Thick Grill-Pan Filet ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2024)
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