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Steak Frites for ep. 4 of my restaurant series ♥️. This was the first sauce I learned to cook while working in the industry and I made it no less than 50 times before I was allowed to serve it to guests 😂.
I’ve taken some liberties with the Bernie, clearly…but I love it this way! Béarnaise is essentially a hollandaise with tarragon & shallots added in and personally I love it.
If you loved this recipe, check out my Pink Peppercorn & Bourbon Venison!
Why You’ll Love Steak Frites Recipe
This is one of my all time favorite dishes ever!! I have made it SO many times that of course I had to add the Nadia twist. The fries are crispy, thin and perfect, I use the double fry & freeze method. The béarnaise sauce brings the creamy and acidic touch to the dish. Trust me on the tabasco 😉 I actually made this last week for a dinner party I was hosting, and everyone was a fan!
How To Prepare Steak Frites Recipe
🥔 First, peel the potatoes and cut to desired thickness for the fries. Then, soak them in ice water for 2 hours or overnight.
🧂 Secondly, sprinkle salt on your ribeyes. Then, salt brine in the fridge for 1 hour.
🥘 Preheat a pan with oil to 275F. Then, pat dry your potatoes and fry in batches for 5-6 minutes. You want them super soft and thoroughly cooked.
❄️ Place the potatoes on a sheet pan over paper towels and place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.
🧈 Melt your butter and set aside to cool.
🍷 To a skillet add your shallot, tarragon (s), chives, vinegar and wine. Turn heat on to medium low. Let the liquid fully absorb while mixing often. Ensure you don’t burn and let cool.
🥩 Bring your steak to sit at room temperature.
🥚 Add the yolks to a large glass or metal bowl. Then, add 2 tbsp butter, the prepared tarragon, white pepper and tabasco.
🔥 Fill a small sauce pan with 1/3 water. Then, bring to a simmer and lower to medium heat.
🍳 Add the bowl with the yolks and whisk vigorously until they become pale yellow and thick. Don’t scramble or walk away for a second! I find it takes about 2 minutes.
🌟 Off the heat, drizzle the rest of the butter and emulsify.
🎛 Preheat a cast iron on high for 2 minutes.
♨️ Pat dry your steak and sear for 3 min per side for medium rare, depending on thickness. Then, let it rest.
🍟 Turn fry oil up to 375F. Fry the potatoes in batches until golden brown. Hit them with salt and parsley.
🌿 Lastly, slice steak, serve with bearnaise, chives, black pepper and the fries.
Substitutions and Variations for Steak Frites Recipe
- I make my fries from scratch, but if you don’t want to go through the process you can use frozen ones
- I do love using fresh and dried tarragon in the béarnaise but you can do one or the other.
- I topped my steak with chives but you can easily swap them for your favorite herbs.
- You can use brown butter instead of regular butter for the sauce, it will add nuttiness and complexity.
- You can also use a different cut of steak like tenderloin or NY strip!
Chef Nadia’s Tip
The double fry method is the best way to ensure crispy fries in my book! You can also use this method by air frying them at 300F until soft, then freeze and fry again at 400F until crispy!
Chef Nadia’s Tips 🔥
- Classic Bearnaise is made with clarified butter, but I prefer it with whole butter. Flavor & texture is better in my opinion. Also, swapping butter for brown butter is a game changer in Bearnaise.
- Bearnaise is a very simple sauce but you do have to be very careful not to scramble the eggs. What I do is I first melt the butter and let it cool. I then saute the tarragon, shallot and vinegar and let that cool. Make sure the water isn’t on a rolling boil when you add your bowl with the yolks, you want it at a gentle simmer. Vigorously whisk the yolks and when they turn pale yellow immediately remove from the heat, it will be very quick.
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Common Questions
Yes absolutely! One of my favorite tricks, because it adds nuttiness and complexity.
Yes of course! You can use any cut you prefer, such as NY strip or tenderloin.
No, this sauce breaks very easily and should not be made ahead.
Steak Frites Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Shallot, brunoise
- 1-2 Yolks
- 2.5 tsp Red wine vinegar
- 2.5 tsp White wine
- 1.5 tbsp Tarragon, fresh
- 1 tsp Tarragon, dried
- 1 tbsp Chives, fresh, and more for topping
- 8 oz unsalted butter, melted
- 2 squirts Tabasco
- 1/4 tsp White pepper
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 2-4 Ribeyes
- 4 russet potatoes
- Neutral oil , for frying the potatoes
Instructions
- First, peel the potatoes and cut to desired thickness for the fries. Then, soak them in ice water for 2 hours or overnight.
- Secondly, sprinkle salt on your ribeyes. Then, salt brine in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat a pan with oil to 275F. Then, pat dry your potatoes and fry in batches for 5-6 minutes. You want them super soft and thoroughly cooked.
- Place the potatoes on a sheet pan over paper towels and place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.
- Melt your butter and set aside to cool.
- To a skillet add your shallot, tarragon (s), chives, vinegar and wine. Turn heat on to medium low. Let the liquid fully absorb while mixing often. Ensure you don’t burn and let cool.
- Bring your steak to sit at room temperature.
- Add the yolks to a large glass or metal bowl. Then, add 2 tbsp butter, the prepared tarragon, white pepper and tabasco.
- Fill a small sauce pan with 1/3 water. Then, bring to a simmer and lower to medium heat.
- Add the bowl with the yolks and whisk vigorously until they become pale yellow and thick. Don’t scramble or walk away for a second! I find it takes about 2 minutes.
- Off the heat, drizzle the rest of the butter and emulsify.
- Preheat a cast iron on high for 2 minutes.
- Pat dry your steak and sear for 3 min per side for medium rare, depending on thickness. Then, let it rest.
- Turn fry oil up to 375F. Fry the potatoes in batches until golden brown. Hit them with salt and parsley.
- Lastly, slice steak, serve with bearnaise, chives, black pepper and the fries.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello,
Do you have any suggestions for wine subs?
Thank you!
You can use broth or more vinegar, but keep in mind that it won’y yield the same results 🙂 I hope this helps!
Can I do it without eggs.
His long is the bearnaise sauce good for ?
Hey Agustina, This is a sauce that needs to be made right before eating. Béarnaise sauce breaks very easily and it just isn’t the type of sauce that can be made ahead.