Equipment
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 600 g baby fingerling potatoes, washed and unpeeled
- 1500 ml water
- 15 g fine sea salt
Steak and Sear
- 600 g beef sirloin steak, trimmed of excess edge fat, at room temperature
- 3 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 30 ml avocado oil
Summer Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 fresh sweet corn, shucked and kernels sliced off the cob
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, whole, washed and patted dry
- 1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
- 4 garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
- 45 g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 2 fresh rosemary, whole sprigs
- 4 fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed, stemmed, and finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 648 kcal
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 653 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Potassium
- 1803 mg
- Calcium
- 64 mg
- Iron
- 6.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 63 mg
- Phosphorus
- 358 mg
- Zinc
- 11.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 108 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Water
- 154 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place baby fingerling potatoes, 1500 ml water, and 10 g fine sea salt into the large pot, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook for 14 minutes until tender when pierced with the tip of a chef knife.
Pour the boiled potatoes into a colander in the sink and allow them to steam dry undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Arrange the warm potatoes on a cutting board and press each one down gently using the base of a flat-bottomed heavy glass until flattened to roughly 1.5 cm thickness while remaining in one piece.
Pat the beef sirloin steaks thoroughly dry with paper towels on a cutting board designated for raw meat, season evenly across all sides with 3 g fine sea salt and 3 g cracked black pepper, and immediately wash your hands and the meat board to prevent cross-contamination.
Place the heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes until faint wisps of smoke appear at roughly 205°C (400°F), then pour in 15 ml of avocado oil and swirl to coat the base.
Carefully lay the seasoned steaks into the hot skillet using kitchen tongs and sear undisturbed for 4 minutes until a deep mahogany-brown crust forms on the bottom.
Turn the steaks over with kitchen tongs, add 30 g chilled unsalted butter, smashed garlic, rosemary sprigs, and thyme sprigs to the skillet, tilt the pan slightly, and use a large spoon to baste the foaming herb butter over the meat for 3 to 4 minutes until a digital instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest center registers 63°C (145°F).
Transfer the seared steaks to a clean platter using clean kitchen tongs, leaving the remaining rendered fat and herb solids in the skillet, and let the steaks rest undisturbed for at least 3 minutes to allow juices to stabilize.
Add the remaining 15 ml avocado oil to the skillet over medium-high heat, place the crushed potatoes in a single layer, and fry for 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second side until deeply golden and crispy.
Move the crispy potatoes to the perimeter of the skillet, add the sweet corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, diced shallot, and remaining 15 g unsalted butter to the center, and sauté over medium-high heat for 3 minutes until tomatoes blister and corn turns tender and glossy.
Place the rested steaks onto a clean cutting board and cut against the grain into 1.5 cm thick slices using a sharp chef knife.
Distribute the crispy potatoes and sautéed summer vegetables evenly across four warm plates, lay the sliced steak alongside, spoon warm skillet juices over each portion, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and the remaining 2 g fine sea salt.
Chef's Notes
- To make this dish entirely vegetarian, swap out the 600g beef sirloin for an equal weight of wild mushrooms such as thick-sliced king trumpet or whole maitake clusters. Sear the mushrooms in the hot skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side undisturbed to drive off moisture and build umami-rich caramelization, then baste with the garlic-herb butter exactly as directed for the steak.
- Allowing the boiled fingerling potatoes to steam dry for 5 full minutes in the colander is the primary secret to crispness. Any remaining surface steam trapped under the skin creates sogginess rather than a brittle, crackling crust.
- Always rely on a calibrated digital instant-read thermometer rather than cooking time alone. The United States food safety guideline establishes 63°C (145°F) with a minimum 3-minute rest for whole beef cuts to ensure food safety while maintaining optimal tenderness.
- Slicing beef perpendicular to the natural grain shortens the long muscle fibers, resulting in a significantly more tender mouthfeel with every bite.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cool completely and store in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking.
Freezer: 2 months — Potatoes soften noticeably upon freezing; for best quality, freeze steak and sautéed vegetables separately from potatoes.
Reheating: Reheat leftovers in a covered skillet over medium heat with a splash of water until the internal temperature reaches at least 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
Potatoes break apart completely when pressed flat
Cause: Potatoes were either over-boiled until waterlogged or pressed with excessive force
Fix: Fry the separated potato chunks in the skillet anyway; they will still brown into delicious crispy potato hash bites
Prevention: Test doneness early with a knife tip and crush gently using just the steady weight of the hand
Steak surface turns grey and wet instead of forming a deep brown crust
Cause: The meat was damp when entering the pan or the skillet was not sufficiently preheated
Fix: Cannot be fixed for the current surface crust; continue cooking to safe temperature without boiling the meat in pan juices
Prevention: Thoroughly pat meat dry with paper towels and ensure the cast iron skillet is lightly smoking before adding steak
Pan juices taste bitter or burnt before cooking the vegetables
Cause: The garlic or milk solids in the basting butter burned from excessive skillet heat during steak searing
Fix: Wipe out the scorched fat with a paper towel and add 15 ml fresh oil and 15 g fresh butter before frying vegetables
Prevention: Add butter and garlic only during the final 3 minutes of searing and lower the burner to medium
Cultural Context
Meat and potatoes have anchored North American farmstead cooking for generations as the quintessential sustenance meal. This summer interpretation transitions the heavy winter skillet into a bright, seasonal centerpiece by pairing seared beef or meaty wild mushrooms with sweet corn on the cob kernels and sun-ripened tomatoes fresh from the garden.
