This is steak night done properly: thick-cut sirloin cooked to medium and basted with butter and herbs, a pile of double-cooked chips with a proper crunch, and a peppercorn sauce finished with tarragon. It’s a great one for date night.
Prep aheadOptional head start · the night before
Ingredients
- Steak
- 2 Sirloin steaks, or ribeye, 1 inch thick, see notes
- Fine sea salt, 1% of meat weight
- 10 g Neutral oil, for searing
- 30 g Butter, for basting
- 3 Garlic cloves, skin on, crushed open
- 1 sprigs Fresh rosemary
- 1 sprigs Fresh thyme
- Chips
- 700 g Maris Piper potatoes
- 1.5 L Neutral deep frying oil
- Peppercorn sauce
- 4 g Black pepper, freshly ground
- 5 g Butter
- 1 Shallots, finely diced
- 1 Garlic cloves, minced
- 75 ml Brandy
- 150 ml Beef stock, reduced, see notes
- 30 g Double cream
- 5 g Fresh lemon juice, to taste
- 5 g Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2.5 g Fresh tarragon, finely chopped
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet
- Large heavy casserole or deep fryer
- Chef's press
- Temperature probe
- Wire rack
Season the steaks generously on all sides with fine sea salt. Place uncovered on a rack in the fridge overnight.
Before anything goes on the heat, get everything ready. Dice the shallots, mince the garlic, measure the brandy, beef stock, double cream and chop the parsley and tarragon. See mise en place — the sauce comes together quickly once the steak is out and there is no time to stop mid-cook.
Cut the Maris Piper potatoes into 1.5cm x 1.5cm chips, leaving the skin on. Rinse in a colander under cold water until the water runs clear, then transfer to a saucepan and cover with cold water. Season the water heavily and bring to the boil. Cook until the outside looks slightly grainy and the chips are just starting to soften — they should hold their shape but feel slightly tender when pressed.
Drain the chips and spread in a single layer on a wire rack. Leave to steam dry for at least 10 minutes, you want as much surface moisture gone as possible before they go near the oil.
Fill the casserole with neutral oil 8–10cm deep and bring slowly to 180°C (355°F) — use a thermometer. At the same time, place the cast-iron skillet over high heat and leave it until smoking.
Add a drizzle of neutral oil to the smoking skillet. Place the steaks in the pan and immediately put the chef’s press on top. Sear without moving for 2 minutes until deeply browned, then flip and repeat on the other side. Use a meat thermometer to cook to your target temperature — see the temperature guide in the pro tip. For a crust on the fat cap, hold the steak on its side with tongs for 30–60 seconds. See how to sear properly for the full technique.
When the steaks are around 5°C away from being done, add the butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Allow the butter to foam and infuse with the herbs. Spoon the butter over the steaks repeatedly until they reach your desired temperature.
Transfer the steaks to a tray, pour over the butter, garlic and herbs and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes.
Once the oil is at 180°C (355°F), lower the chips in carefully using a spider or slotted spoon. Don’t overcrowd, fry in batches if needed. Cook until golden and crispy, around 4–6 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper and season immediately with fine sea salt.
Remove the cast-iron skillet from the heat and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Return to a medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to foam, then add the ground black pepper and toast for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the shallots and cook gently until softened but not coloured, around 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for one minute.
Pour in the brandy and let it reduce by half, scraping up any fond from the base of the pan as you go.
Pour in the beef stock and bring to a simmer and reduce until well thickened. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and hold a line when you run your finger through it.
Add the double cream and stir to combine. Taste and season with fine sea salt, then finish with a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the chopped parsley and tarragon. The lemon should be barely detectable — it’s there to lift the richness, not to taste of lemon.
Slice the rested steaks and arrange on warmed plates. Spoon the peppercorn sauce generously over and alongside. Pile the chips next to the steak and serve immediately.
Notes & Substitutions
Steak choice: Sirloin or ribeye are the first choices. Look for good marbling and dry-aged beef where possible. A steak under an inch thick will overcook before it colours properly. Lean, thin, vacuum-packed supermarket steaks are a false economy at any price point — buy better and buy less often if needed.
Beef stock: Use the best you can find. A good reduced beef stock, demi-glace, or bone broth will give the sauce real body and depth. Standard stock cubes will still work, a little trick is to add a sprinkle of powdered gelatine to the hot stock to replicate the glossy, thickened texture of a proper stock. Making your own is worth it if you have the time — see the beef stock recipe.
Asparagus: Goes well alongside — pan-fry in butter for 3–4 minutes until just tender and lightly coloured.
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Steak Frites with Peppercorn Sauce
COOKED
PROPERLY
Ingredients
- 2 Sirloin steaks (or ribeye, 1 inch thick, see notes)
- Fine sea salt (1% of meat weight)
- 10 g Neutral oil (for searing)
- 30 g Butter (for basting)
- 3 Garlic cloves (skin on, crushed open)
- 1 sprigs Fresh rosemary
- 1 sprigs Fresh thyme
- 700 g Maris Piper potatoes
- 1.5 L Neutral deep frying oil
- 4 g Black pepper (freshly ground)
- 5 g Butter
- 1 Shallots (finely diced)
- 1 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 75 ml Brandy
- 150 ml Beef stock (reduced, see notes)
- 30 g Double cream
- 5 g Fresh lemon juice (to taste)
- 5 g Flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
- 2.5 g Fresh tarragon (finely chopped)
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet
- Large heavy casserole or deep fryer
- Chef's press
- Temperature probe
- Wire rack
Method
Season the steaks (night before)
2 Sirloin steaks · Fine sea salt
Season the steaks generously on all sides with fine sea salt. Place uncovered on a rack in the fridge overnight.
If you forget, season immediately before cooking — not five minutes before, not thirty. Salt draws moisture to the surface, and surface moisture is the enemy of a good sear.
Either overnight or right before the pan, nothing in between.
Mise en place
1 Shallots · 1 Garlic cloves · 75 ml Brandy · 150 ml Beef stock · 30 g Double cream · 5 g Flat-leaf parsley · 2.5 g Fresh tarragon
Before anything goes on the heat, get everything ready. Dice the shallots, mince the garlic, measure the brandy, beef stock, double cream and chop the parsley and tarragon. See mise en place — the sauce comes together quickly once the steak is out and there is no time to stop mid-cook.
Prep and blanch the chips
700 g Maris Piper potatoes
Cut the Maris Piper potatoes into 1.5cm x 1.5cm chips, leaving the skin on. Rinse in a colander under cold water until the water runs clear, then transfer to a saucepan and cover with cold water. Season the water heavily and bring to the boil. Cook until the outside looks slightly grainy and the chips are just starting to soften — they should hold their shape but feel slightly tender when pressed.
Don’t over-blanch. If the chips are fully soft before they hit the fryer, they’ll fall apart. You want them cooked through but still holding together — the fryer finishes the job.
Steam dry the chips
Drain the chips and spread in a single layer on a wire rack. Leave to steam dry for at least 10 minutes, you want as much surface moisture gone as possible before they go near the oil.
Get the pan and oil up to temperature
1.5 L Neutral deep frying oil
Fill the casserole with neutral oil 8–10cm deep and bring slowly to 180°C (355°F) — use a thermometer. At the same time, place the cast-iron skillet over high heat and leave it until smoking.
Sear the steaks
10 g Neutral oil
Add a drizzle of neutral oil to the smoking skillet. Place the steaks in the pan and immediately put the chef’s press on top. Sear without moving for 2 minutes until deeply browned, then flip and repeat on the other side. Use a meat thermometer to cook to your target temperature — see the temperature guide in the pro tip. For a crust on the fat cap, hold the steak on its side with tongs for 30–60 seconds. See how to sear properly for the full technique.
Internal temperature guide (remove from heat at these temperatures — carryover cooking will raise them further during resting):
- Rare: 46–49°C (115–120°F)
- Medium-rare: 52–54°C (126–130°F)
- Medium: 57–60°C (135–140°F)
- Medium-well: 63–65°C (145–149°F)
For a full guide to cooking steak to temperature, see How to Cook Steak Properly.
If scaling this recipe up, cook steaks in batches — crowding the pan drops the temperature and the steaks will steam rather than sear. Two steaks per pan maximum.
Baste the steaks
30 g Butter · 3 Garlic cloves · 1 sprigs Fresh rosemary · 1 sprigs Fresh thyme
When the steaks are around 5°C away from being done, add the butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Allow the butter to foam and infuse with the herbs. Spoon the butter over the steaks repeatedly until they reach your desired temperature.
Rest the steaks
Transfer the steaks to a tray, pour over the butter, garlic and herbs and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes.
Fry the chips
Once the oil is at 180°C (355°F), lower the chips in carefully using a spider or slotted spoon. Don’t overcrowd, fry in batches if needed. Cook until golden and crispy, around 4–6 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper and season immediately with fine sea salt.
Overcrowding the fryer drops the oil temperature sharply, and the chips steam in each other’s moisture rather than frying. If scaling this recipe up, fry in batches and keep the first batch warm in a low oven while the second cooks.
Build the sauce base
4 g Black pepper · 5 g Butter
Remove the cast-iron skillet from the heat and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Return to a medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to foam, then add the ground black pepper and toast for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the shallots and cook gently until softened but not coloured, around 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for one minute.
Deglaze with brandy
75 ml Brandy
Pour in the brandy and let it reduce by half, scraping up any fond from the base of the pan as you go.
If your kitchen setup allows for it, you can flambe the brandy at this stage — tilt the pan slightly to catch the gas flame, or use a long lighter. It makes no difference to the final flavour of the sauce, but it does look dramatic. If in doubt, skip it and just reduce.
Add stock and reduce
150 ml Beef stock
Pour in the beef stock and bring to a simmer and reduce until well thickened. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and hold a line when you run your finger through it.
The quality of your stock matters here. A good reduced beef stock or demi-glace will give you a sauce with real body. A stock cube will struggle to reduce to the right consistency but the finished sauce will likely still be delicious. See the notes for stock guidance.
Finish the sauce
1 Garlic cloves · 75 ml Brandy · 30 g Double cream · 5 g Fresh lemon juice
Add the double cream and stir to combine. Taste and season with fine sea salt, then finish with a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the chopped parsley and tarragon. The lemon should be barely detectable — it’s there to lift the richness, not to taste of lemon.
Slice and serve
Slice the rested steaks and arrange on warmed plates. Spoon the peppercorn sauce generously over and alongside. Pile the chips next to the steak and serve immediately.
Warm your plates. Steak frites cools fast and a cold plate ruins it fast. A brief blast in a low oven is all it takes.
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The wok costs £25. The heat underneath it is what you're really paying for.
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The wok costs £25. The heat underneath it is what you're really paying for.
£10-£25
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