Equipment
Ingredients
Steak
- 2 sirloin steaks, room temperature
- 30 ml grapeseed oil
- 40 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 fresh thyme, sprigs
- flaky sea salt
Triple-Cooked Chips
- 800 g starchy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm batons
- 2000 ml neutral frying oil
- 15 ml white vinegar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 941 kcal
- Protein
- 79 g
- Carbohydrates
- 65 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fiber
- 10 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 1773 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Cholesterol
- 43 mg
- Potassium
- 2624 mg
- Calcium
- 128 mg
- Iron
- 7.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 153 mg
- Phosphorus
- 831 mg
- Zinc
- 12.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 143 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 42 mg
- Vitamin E
- 4.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.29 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 4.4 mg
- Folate
- 74 mcg
- Water
- 334 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place cut potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, add vinegar and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until the edges are breaking apart but the center remains intact (approx. 20-25 mins).
Gently drain potatoes and arrange on a wire rack. Allow to steam dry and cool completely, preferably in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to remove surface moisture.
Heat oil in a deep pot to 130°C/266°F. Fry potatoes in batches until a pale crust forms (about 5-7 minutes). They should not brown yet. Remove and drain on rack. Cool for 30 minutes.
While chips cool, pat steaks bone-dry with paper towels. Season heavily with salt on all sides. Heat cast iron skillet until smoking hot.
Add oil to the smoking pan. Sear steaks, flipping every minute to build an even crust. Continue until internal temperature reaches 50°C/122°F for medium-rare.
In the last minute of cooking, add butter, garlic, and thyme. Baste the steak foaming butter over the meat continuously.
Remove steaks to a warm plate and rest for 10 minutes. While resting, increase oil heat to 190°C/375°F.
Fry the cooled chips a second time at 190°C/375°F until deep golden brown and extremely crisp (approx 3-4 minutes). Drain, season immediately with salt, and serve with the steak.
Chef's Notes
- The 'micro-cracks' created during the vigorous boil are essential; they trap oil during the final fry to create that glass-like crunch.
- Flipping the steak every minute (the 'constant flip' method) cooks the meat more evenly and develops a better crust than flipping once.
- Adding vinegar to the potato water prevents the potato from disintegrating completely before the starch is gelatinized.
- Always salt chips immediately after the final fry; the hot surface oil helps the salt adhere.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Steak stores well; chips lose texture immediately.
Reheating: Reheat steak gently in pan; chips must be refried or air-fried to restore crunch.
Troubleshooting
Chips are soggy or greasy
Cause: Oil temperature dropped too low when adding potatoes
Fix: Refry at correct high temperature briefly to drive out oil
Prevention: Fry in smaller batches and ensure thermometer reads 190°C/375°F before adding chips
Steak has a grey band inside the crust
Cause: Steak was too cold when cooking or not flipped often enough
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Temper steak and flip every 60 seconds
Cultural Context
While 'Steak Frites' is the national dish of bistro dining in France, the triple-cooked chip method is a modern British gastronomic innovation attributed to Heston Blumenthal, elevating the humble potato to a technical masterpiece.
