Steak Frites with Shallot-Red Wine Butter

Steak Frites with Shallot-Red Wine Butter

This is the dish that built a thousand brasserie reputations: a well-crusted steak, a pile of crisp fries, and a knob of tangy butter melting into the meat. It's bistro cooking at its most honest, nothing to hide behind, so a good sear and real potatoes matter more than any fancy technique.

You need

• 2 boneless ribeye or NY strip steaks, 8-10 oz (225-280 g) each, about 1 inch thick
• Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (grapeseed or canola)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/56 g) softened butter for the compound butter
• 1 large shallot, very finely minced
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 large russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs/680 g), cut into 1/4-inch (6 mm) matchsticks
• 4 cups (1 L) neutral oil, for frying the fries
• Flaky salt, for finishing

Method

1. Make the compound butter first: in a small saucepan, combine the shallot and red wine over medium heat. Simmer until the wine has reduced to about 2 tablespoons and looks syrupy, 6-8 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. Mash the cooled shallot reduction into the 4 tablespoons softened butter along with the thyme and a pinch of salt. Scrape onto plastic wrap, roll into a log, and chill in the freezer while you do everything else.
3. Soak the cut potatoes in a bowl of cold water for at least 20 minutes to pull out starch; this is what gives you a crisp fry instead of a limp one. Drain and pat completely dry with towels.
4. Heat the 4 cups frying oil in a heavy pot to 325°F (163°C). Fry the potatoes in batches for 5-6 minutes, until pale gold and just tender but not browned. Lift out with a spider and drain on paper towels. This first fry can be done up to 2 hours ahead.
5. Pat the steaks very dry and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper, pressing it in. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before cooking.
6. Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Lay in the steaks and don't touch them for 3-4 minutes, until a deep brown crust forms.
7. Flip, add the 2 tablespoons butter to the pan, and cook another 3-4 minutes for medium-rare, tilting the pan and spooning the melted butter over the steaks as they finish. An instant-read thermometer should read 125-130°F (52-54°C) for medium-rare.
8. Move the steaks to a plate, top each with a thick coin of the chilled compound butter, and let rest 5-8 minutes while you finish the fries.
9. Raise the frying oil to 375°F (190°C). Fry the potatoes a second time, in batches, for 2-3 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Drain, toss immediately with flaky salt.
10. Plate the steaks with the butter melting over them and the fries piled alongside. Serve right away.