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Steak Frites for ep. 4 of my Restaurant Series ♥️ Béarnaise Sauce 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.
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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
Before diving into this Steak Frites Recipe, a little prep work will go a long way in making everything run smoothly!
French Fries:
Peel and slice your potatoes – This is something that can be prepped and done up to 24 hours ahead but you need at least 2 hours to get that starch out. You can have this done, cleaned up and out of your way before you even start this dinner.
Make room in your freezer – In between frying, you will be putting the French fries in your freezer. You can make sure you have room beforehand so you’re not having problems in the middle of the fry.
Steak:
Brine your steaks ahead – Make sure you start brining your steaks ahead of time. Brining tenderizes, adds more flavor and really helps get that beautiful sear so it is worth the extra effort.
Bring your steak to room temp – Your steak will need about 30 minutes to come to room temperature so make sure you leave time for that.
Béarnaise Sauce:
Prep your butter early – Melt and leave enough time to let cool. You want it warm and not hot. If it’s too hot it can scramble the eggs which is what we are going for.
Chop ahead – Chop the shallots, tarragon and chives ahead of time so they are ready to go when you need them.
Substitutions and Variations
- 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 300°F until soft, then freeze and fry again at 400°F until crispy!
- 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.
The Perfect Pairings
Start your night off with a sweet, tangy and fresh Prickly Pear Cocktail. As an appetizer Scallop Fritters are sure to impress and they’re perfect because you can reuse the frying oil. Every dinner meal needs a fresh crisp salad, and a Handheld Wedge Salad will pair perfectly with this Steak Frites Recipe. Finish your evening off with Caramel Apple Bread Pudding.
Steak Frites: Questions Answered
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
Equipment
- potato peeler
- 2 large bowls
- rack and covered baking sheet
- baking sheet and paper towels
- small saucepan
- large cast iron pan
Ingredients
French Fries
- 4 russet potatoes
- Neutral oil , for frying the potatoes
- salt, to taste
- parsley, to taste
Ribeyes
- 2 Ribeyes
- kosher salt, or fine sea salt, for brining
- chives, for topping
- black pepper, for topping
Béarnaise Sauce
- 16 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 1 Shallot, brunoise
- 1 ½ tbsp Tarragon, fresh
- 1 tsp Tarragon, dried
- 1 tbsp Chives, fresh, and more for topping
- 2 ½ tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 ½ tsp white wine
- 2-3 egg yolks
- 2 squirts Tabasco
- ¼ tsp white pepper
Instructions
- Peel your potatoes and cut to desired thickness for the fries. In a bowl filled with ice water, soak them for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Now we are going to salt brine the steaks. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on your ribeyes. Lay them on a rack with a covered baking sheet underneath and put in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour.
- Preheat a pan with oil to 275°F. Pat dry your potatoes and fry in batches for 5-6 minutes each. 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 the shallot, both the fresh and dry tarragon, chives, vinegar and wine. Turn the heat on to medium-low. Let the liquid fully absorb. Mix often to insure you don’t burn. Let cool.
- Take your steak out of the fridge and bring to room temperature.
- To a large glass or metal bowl, add the egg yolks, 2 tbsp butter, the prepared tarragon you made earlier, white pepper and tabasco.
- Fill a small sauce pan with ⅓ water and bring to a simmer, then 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.
- Turn off the heat and slowly drizzle the remaining butter while emulsifying.
- Preheat a cast iron on high for 2 minutes.
- Pat dry your steak and sear for 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Then, let it rest.
- Turn fry oil up to 375°F. Fry the potatoes in batches until golden brown. Hit them with salt and parsley.
- Lastly, slice your gorgeous steak, top with the béarnaise sauce, chives, black pepper and serve with the fries on the side.
Kitchen Cam
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.