Back to Basics Steak and Potatoes
Sometimes simple is best. Food trends are taking ingredients and processes to crazy new places and it's all exciting and fun and science-y, but sometimes just a simple, well cooked meal is perfection. Quality ingredients, simple techniques, but time spent finessing a meal.
This dinner is a back to basics meal. Something we've all eaten and cooked countless times. Steak and potatoes. There are so many variations and versions, sauces and accompaniments, ways to make this dish unique. I'm sharing my simple, basic dinner that anyone with a bit of time and some quality ingredients can pull off.
The basic rule for all food, but especially a simple dish is to start with great ingredients. Quality ingredients equal quality food, and when the dish is simple the ingredients need to speak for themselves.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel two medium sized russet potatoes. Place each potato between the handles of wooden spoons. Using a sharp knife, make 1/4 in slices through the potato, starting at one end, stopping when the knife hits the wooden spoons. You want to slice the potato, but not all the way through. Hasselback potatoes are like a cross between a baked potato and a french fry and are not very tricky. Repeat this process with the second potato.
Pour a small amount of olive oil into the bottom of a glass baking dish to coat and add the potatoes. Season potatoes with a small amount of salt and fresh black pepper. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in the microwave at 20 second intervals in a small dish. Spoon a quarter of the melted butter over each potato, reserving the remaining two tablespoons.
Place potatoes uncovered in preheated oven and set timer for 30 minutes. Remove steak from the refrigerator to bring closer to room temperature.
Remove steaks from packaging and season generously with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the timer for the potatoes has gone off, remove potatoes and spoon remaining butter over each. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and return the potatoes to the oven. Set timer for 20 minutes.
Add steaks to hot pan. Cook over medium high heat 7-10 minutes. Flip steaks and continue cooking until temperature reaches 145 degrees in the thickest part of the steak for medium/medium rare.
Remove steaks from pan and rest at 5-10 minutes. Remove potatoes and vegetables from the oven. Plate steak, potatoes, and a favorite vegetable and serve with a nice dry red wine.
This is such a simple dish, but I've had and made this with and poor ingredients and it was just mediocre. With a nice dry-aged steak, good quality butter, and fresh salt and pepper, steak and potatoes can be really great food that doesn't need to be drenched in a sauce. Timing the dish carefully and cooking the steak to the perfect temperature, resting the meat afterwards, ensures the perfect bite from start to finish.
Recipe
Back to Basics Steak and Potatoes
By Land of Noms, February 12, 2015
Simple is best in this recipe. Quality ingredients result in great food.
steak, potatoes, simple
Ingredients
- 2 4-6 oz steaks, cut of your choice (New York strip, filet, chateaubriand, etc)
- 2 russet potatoes
- 6 tablespoons of butter, divided
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Peel potatoes; set two wooden spoons on cutting board and place potato between handles
- Using the spoon handles as a guide, slice potatoes into quarter inch slices without cutting all the way through, stopping at the spoon handles, repeat with second potato
- Season with salt and pepper and place in an oiled baking dish
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe dish, spoon 1 tablespoon of butter over each potato
- Move potatoes to oven and set timer for 30 minutes, remove steak from refrigerator to bring up to room temperature
- When timer has gone off, spoon remaining melted butter over potatoes and bake for an additional 20 minutes
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat
- Season steaks generously with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
- Sear steaks 7-10 minutes per side or until temperature reads 145 for medium/medium rare
- Remove from heat and wrap in foil to rest 5-10 minutes before serving
- Plate rested steaks with potatoes and a vegetable or small salad for a simple meal
Sharing our culinary adventures in Cascadia with simple, sustainable & satisfying eats. Bon Appétit!
