Steak frites are an absolute freakin’ delicious classic. I cannot get enough of them (see: here, here and here. Oh, and here too). But I had my mind blown recently when I went to Le Relais de Venise, a famous steak frites restaurant with locations in Paris, London, Monaco and New York. Get this: since it opened in 1959, steak frites is the only dish it serves. It’s an all-you-can-eat steak and fries menu, served with Dijon salad. Yes, we skipped the salad. I did not want to mess with steak frites perfection.
Le Relais de Venise serves its steak frites recipe with a world-renowned secret sauce. So secret that there’s no known recipe! So, I’ve pieced it together using my backyard pitmaster sleuthing powers. It is off the charts. You could pour this sauce over cardboard and still want to eat it — good thing we don’t have to.
Why You’ll Love Steak Frites
Sometimes the simplest dishes are the most satisfying ones, and that’s definitely the case with steak frites. Give me a rare cut of meat and pile of fried potatoes and I’m a happy man. Add in a secret steak sauce, and I’m in beef heaven.
My take on the Le Relais de Venise steak sauce combines traditional French flavors like tarragon, butter and Dijon mustard with umami-forward ingredients like capers and anchovies to give it a pop. There are a few components you have to keep in mind with this dish, they all come together quickly and don’t have a ton of steps. Whether you’re serving this for a special occasion or brightening your weekday with epic steakhouse flavors, it’ll be easy to impress everyone around your table.
Interested in more French recipes? Check out French Dip, French Onion Steak Crostini, French Onion Steak Skewers and French Onion Steak Pinwheels.
Steak Frites Ingredients
- Steak: Your favorite cut of steak will be perfect here. Ribeye, New York strip steak, porterhouse, T-bone, hanger steak, filet mignon — you will not be disappointed. I like a thicker cut steak here for texture and flavor. We’ll season our juicy steak with Spiceology’s Salt Pepper Garlic Seasoning.
- Frites: To make our crispy fries, we’ll use russet potatoes, beef tallow and kosher salt.
- French Steak Sauce: Don’t be intimidated by the long ingredient list, since we’re blending everything! You’ll need shallot, unsalted butter, tarragon, parsley, capers, anchovies, nutmeg, more SPG, walnuts, egg yolk, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and white vinegar.
Make Your Own Mustard Vinaigrette
I know, I know, I skipped the salad at Le Relais de Venise. But, if you want to have the whole experience at home, here’s an easy mustard vinaigrette you can make to mimic the dressing they serve. In a small bowl or jar, mix together 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Then, whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil (or, if you’re making this in a mason jar, put the lid on it and shake to emulsify). Drizzle over a simple green salad topped with walnuts and blue cheese. You can also level up your dressing by adding herbs, such as parsley, tarragon or chives, or a bit of honey for sweetness.
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How to Make Steak Frites
Making the Fries
To begin, slice your 2-3 russet potatoes into a fry shape and place them in a bowl of ice cold water. Let them soak until you are ready to start cooking.
Next, heat up a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet with 1 quart beef tallow until the tallow reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry off your fries and add them to the beef tallow.
We’re going to double-fry the fries, so the cooking is a two-step process. Cook the first time for about 3-4 minutes in the hot oil, pulling them out with a slotted spoon and letting them cool for 2-3 minutes. Do this in 2-3 batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
Then, add the fries back to the hot pan and fry again until they are golden brown (about 4-5 more minutes). Once the fries are done, place them on a plate with a paper towel to catch the excess oil.
Add the fries to a bowl along with kosher salt to taste and toss to evenly coat. Keep warm until ready to serve.
The Famous Steak Frites Sauce
Now, let’s make my take on the Le Relais de Venise sauce. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 13.5 tablespoons butter and soften 1 medium shallot, diced, for 2-3 minutes.
In a blender, add 2 tablespoons tarragon, 2 tablespoons parsley, 5-6 walnuts, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tin anchovies, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and 1 teaspoon SPG Seasoning. Blend these ingredients until chunky but mixed.
Then, add the blended ingredients to the butter pan sauce and let everything simmer for 2-3 minutes.
In a bowl, add 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon white vinegar. Slowly pour the butter sauce into the bowl, whisking the whole time to emulsify the sauce.
Once you’ve emulsified the mixture, add the sauce back to the skillet on low heat to purposely “break” the sauce. When you see that it’s broken, pull off and set to the side for serving.
Grilling the Steak
Lay out your 2-3 steaks and season generously with 2 tablespoons SPG, then set to the side until ready to cook.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 375 degrees F) for direct grilling.
Next, add the steaks to the grill and cook until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F (about 10-18 minutes). Cook the steaks for about 3-4 minutes per side, flip and continue cooking to build a good crust. Keep flipping every 3-4 minutes until done. When the steaks are done, let the steaks rest for 10 minutes.
Serving Steak Frites
Finally, slice your steak, add it to the crispy French fries and drizzle your sauce over the top of the steak. Garnish everything with parsley and salt. Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Steak Frites
If you want to follow the Le Relais de Venise tradition, serve these steak frites with a simple green salad and the mustard vinaigrette. You could also swap in any of your steakhouse favorites, like this creamed spinach, a wedge salad, grilled asparagus or roasted broccoli. Add in a glass of French red wine and you’ve got the perfect meal.
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover steak from the steak frites, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil inside an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. To reheat steak, keep it in the aluminum foil and place it back on the grill over medium-low heat. Feel free to add some butter, seasonings, and some beef broth or beer for moisture while it heats up again.
Store the leftover fries separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. To maintain that crispy exterior, reheat your fries
Finally, store the sauce in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat at low heat on the stove and then drizzle over everything once it’s warm.
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FAQs
Sure! If you don’t want to use beef tallow, use your go-to frying oil. Vegetable oil, peanut oil or duck fat all work, though they’ll have slightly different flavors that the beef tallow.
The double fry method creates a crispier exterior and fluffier interior. The first fry cooks the potato through, while the second fry at the same temperature creates that irresistible golden-brown crunch that makes restaurant-quality frites.
This is actually how they do it at Le Relais de Venise, so we’re being authentic here! When you break the sauce, you create the grainy, buttery texture that makes this sauce legendary. The split consistency gives the sauce its signature rich mouthfeel and helps it cling perfectly to the steak.
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French Steak Frites
Ingredients
Steak:
- 2-3 Favorite Steaks
- 2 tbsp SPG
- Canola Oil as needed
Fries:
- 2-3 Russet Potatoes
- 1 qt Beef Tallow
- Kosher Salt as needed
French Steak Sauce (Le Relais De Venise):
- 1 medium Shallot diced
- 13.5 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 tbsp Tarragon
- 2 tbsp Parsley
- 1 tbsp Capers
- 1 tin Anchovies
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp SPG
- 5-6 Walnuts
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
Instructions
Fries:
- To begin, slice your potatoes into fries and place them in a bowl of ice water. Let them soak until you are ready to start cooking.
- Heat up a dutch oven/skillet with beef tallow until the tallow is 350F. Dry off your fries and add them to the beef tallow.
- Cook the first time for about 3-4 minutes, pulling them out and letting them cool for 2-3 minutes (Note: Do the fries in 2-3 batches so as to not overcrowd the pan).
- Then, add the fries back to the pan and fry again until they are golden brown (about 4-5 more minutes). Once the fries are done, place them on a plate with a paper towel to catch the excess oil.
- Add the fries to a bowl along with some salt and toss to evenly coat them. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Sauce:
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt your butter and soften your shallots for 2-3 minutes.
- In a blender, add your tarragon, parsley, walnuts, capers, anchovies, nutmeg and SPG to a blend until chunky but mixed.
- Add the blended ingredients to the butter sauce and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- In a bowl, add your egg yolk, worcestershire sauce, dijon and vinegar. Slowly pour the butter sauce in my whisking to emulsify the sauce.
- Once emulsified, add the sauce back to the skillet on low heat to purposely “break” the sauce. Once broken, pull off and set to the side for serving.
Steak:
- Lay out your steak and season generously with SPG, then set to the side until ready to cook.
- Preheat your grill to medium high heat (around 375F) for direct grilling.
- Next, add the steaks to the grill and cook until 120F internal (about 10-18 minutes). Cook the steaks for about 3-4 minutes per side, flip and continue cooking to build a good crust. Keep flipping every 3-4 minutes until done. When the steaks are done, let the steaks rest for 10 minutes.
- Finally, slice your steak, add it with the fries and top the steak with the sauce. Garnish everything with parsley and salt. Serve and enjoy!
