This is a classic steak and chips recipe, perfect to make at home. Juicy sirloin steaks, double-cooked chips, and a rich green peppercorn sauce finished with a quick flambé.
Category
Dinner
Servings
4
Prep time
1 hour 10 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
This is a classic steak and crispy chips (aka Steak Frites) recipe, perfect to make at home. Juicy sirloin steaks, double-cooked chips, and a rich green peppercorn sauce finished with a quick flambé.
I've dry brined these steak which adds and hour to the prep time. You don't have to do this is you're in a rush.
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes (Sebago, Russet Burbank, King Edward or Dutch Creams) washed
- 4 x 300g sirloin steaks
- sea salt and black pepper, for seasoning
- beef tallow, for frying
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 55g can green peppercorns, drained
- 60ml (¼ cup) brandy
- 500ml (2 cups) beef stock
- 60ml (¼ cup) cream
Directions
Prep steak and potatoes
Place the steaks on a wire rack over a tray and season generously with salt. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour to dry brine.
- Slice the potatoes into 2cm thick long sticks.
- Place in a large saucepan of cold salted water and bring to the boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 12 minutes, until tender but not falling apart.
- Drain and transfer to a wire rack over a tray. Place in the freezer until chilled.
Cook chips
Heat the tallow in a deep frying pan to 140°C (285°F) for deep frying.
- Cook the potatoes in batches for 8-10 minutes, then drain on a wire rack over a tray.
- Place in the freezer to chill again, or they can be frozen at this point until you want to cook to serve.
Cook steaks and sauce
Pat the steaks dry with some paper towels.
- Heat a heavy based frying pan over medium high heat.
- Cook steaks, turning every 30-45 seconds, until internal temperature reaches your desired doneness.
- Transfer to a wire rack to rest.
- Add the shallots to the pan, saute for 1 minute to soften. Stir in garlic and peppercorns and season with black pepper. Cook for a further minute.
Add the brandy and flambe, shaking pan until flame subsides. Stir in stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced by half. Add in the cream and check the seasoning, add salt if needed. Let simmer for another minute.
Cook chips again and serve
Increase the tallow temperature to 180°C (355°F). Cook the chips again in batches for 5-6 minutes, until golden and crisp. Drain, then toss in a large bowl with salt.
- Slice the steaks and serve drizzled with pepper sauce and chips on the side.
Recipe notes
Origins
Steak and chips, known as “Steak Frites” origin is disputed between France and Belgium, with both nations claiming the dish and dating back to the 17th Century…but whoever started frying potatoes first and serving them with steak, it has become a pure comfort food favourite!
Flambé
Use a gentle tilt of the pan once the alcohol is added to the pan to light it from the stove flame and then allow it to go out on its own. The flambé burns off the harsh taste of alcohol while keeping the subtle taste and intensifying the flavours in the dish.
Cook support
Take care when doing the first cook of the chips that they don’t overcook as they will fall apart when deep frying, and they will need to be cooled quickly to stop the cooking process.
Sourcing
Beef tallow is available from butchers and once it has been used for frying the chips, you can sieve it off, cool and reuse again.
Substitutions
If you can’t get your hands on beef tallow, then you can use a neutral oil for deep frying.
Storage
Any leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container.
Serving ideas
You could replace the chips with some mashed potatoes if you preferred and add some steamed greens or a salad to round out the meal.
