dinner/meat/recipes

Birthday Steak Frites: Bone-in Rib Eye with Curry Sauce and Curly Fries

Posted December 9, 2016 by Stephanie

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Mike and I been gently settling into our life here in Tokyo. We’re spending the days wandering and eating, going to the awesome 100 yen stores – like a dollar store, but better – and generally having a blast. The other day I did laundry for the first time before we went out on an epic walk. Halfway through, after pausing by a flower store to squee over the cuteness, I gasped.

Me: Where’s my pudding pot? The one I wanted to use as a mini vase?!
Mike: I don’t know, you were the one that packed it…wait, is it in the laundry? I was wondering what that thumping noise was.
Me: AHHHHHHHHHH!

Yeah, okay, here’s what happened. We spent our first week in Japan traveling to Hiroshima, Kobe, and Mount Fuji. In Kobe, I bought a pudding – they’re known for pudding in Kobe! I ate it, it was delicious, and it came in a cute little earthenware pot. I washed the pot out to keep as a memento and decided to put it in with our dirty laundry, thinking that it would pad and protect it. Mike did warn me that it was a bad idea, but I thought it was perfect!

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Anyway, when we got to our place in Tokyo, I emptied out our laundry into the machine and I guess I kinda sort of didn’t realize that I put the pot in with the laundry? The funny thing was, we did keep hearing this thumping noise, but I was like, eh, must be nothing. I was actually really worried when we figured out where the pot was. We were about an hour and a half away from our place and we didn’t really want to take the train home. But, fear not, the pot was ok! It didn’t break into a million pieces or start a laundry fire or anything! If anything, our clothes came out softer?

This story has nothing to do with this post, really. What it does illustrate is how much I love Mike’s reactions to things. Whenever I do something questionable, he doesn’t freak out. He is the calm to my frantic, the chill to my fire, the steak to my fries. We’re better together and I love him unabashedly and wholeheartedly.

best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com

best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com

So, in a little ode to Mike, I made him steak and fries. Steak frites is one of our things together. On our first ever trip overseas (Europe!) we went to Relais de L’entrecote in Paris, a place that does steak frites and only steak frites. It’s a huge tourist trap, there are lines, and it’s kind of kitschy, but it’s absolutely delicious and the secret recipe green sauce is addictive. We lined up in the rain, made it in, dried off over juicy steak and crispy fries; the outside world was wet and dark, inside it was warm, cozy and candle lit. It was insanely romantic and it’s no surprise that we both have a soft spot for steak and fries.

best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com

best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com

Thus, this bone-in, pan seared steak with curry fries! I went with a lemongrass curry sauce in a nod to Mike’s love for Vietnamese curry and curly fries because curly fries are his fave. The steak’s done uber rare because it’s the only way Mike eats steak. It’s a celebration meal right up Mike’s alley. Happiest of birthdays to my best friend, partner-in-crime, and favorite person to overeat with! I love you :)

PS – How awesome are the photos on the blog lately? It’s because Mike’s been taking them :) Hip hip hooray!

PPS – I wanted to update you guys on the pot. I just broke it. I’m heartbroken. I was reaching in the cupboard so I could make some tea and I knocked it over :(

best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com

best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com

Bone-in Rib Eye with Curry Sauce and Curly Fries
serves 2, very generously


Curry Sauce:

  • oil
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
  • 1.5 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup beef stock, optional
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce

Curly Fries:

  • 2 large potatoes
  • oil for deep frying
  • salt and freshly ground pepper

Steak:

  • 1 kg bone in rib eye steak
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • oil for the pan

Start off by making the sauce, which can be made ahead and reheated when everything’s ready to eat. In a small sauce pan, heat up a touch of oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and lemongrass and sauté, until soft and brown, stirring often, about 2-5 minutes. Stir in the curry, chili, sugar, and garlic powder, frying lightly. Add the coconut milk, beef stock, and fish sauce and bring to a gently simmer to thicken slightly. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel the potatoes and spiralize on the thickest setting (or cut into regular french fries). Soak the potatoes in the hot water for 15 minutes. Drain well, spread out on a wire rack, patting dry with paper towels. Place the rack in the fridge to dry out the potatoes slightly while you heat up your oil.

In a very deep pot, bring an inch or 2 of oil (I use canola) to 375°F. Carefully add a small amount of fries to the oil – they will bubble aggressively, so be aware. Deep fry the fries in batches, until golden brown and crispy, moving around often. Drain on the wire rack and keep warm in the oven while you prepare your steak.

The key to this steak is that it’s very rare, blue in fact. Leave your steak in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. Pat it dry with paper towels and season it aggressively on all sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat up a coating of oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over high heat until it is shimmery and smoking. Carefully add the steak to the pan and cook, without moving for 2-3 minutes (up to 4 minutes max) per side. Use your tongs to hold up the steak to sear all of the sides, about 1 minute each. Remove from the pan and let rest for a minimum of 5 minutes while you heat up your curry sauce. If you want a more well done steak, increase the cooking time accordingly.

Slice the meat off the bone against the grain. Serve with a generous amount of curry sauce and curry fries. Enjoy!

best steak frites - www.iamafoodblog.com

23 Comments

  1. mike says:

    Thanks babe/partner-in-overeating, I love you too <3

    ps: had to approve my own comment ?
    pps: how come you didn’t comment on my birthday post to you?
    ppps: you can’t go back and comment now, I can see there were many comments ahead of yours

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      i just did so there :P
      luff n stuff xoxo

  2. Rachael says:

    This looks like the meal of dreams :)

    Rachael xx.
    theteacozykitchen.blogspot.co.uk

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      thanks rachael :)

  3. steak frites is one of my favorite meals ever & your version looks amazing! curly fries & curry sauce?? count me in! my guy is gonna go crazy for this too.

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      thanks jess! i love the way it sounds too, curry sauce and curly fries. gotta love the alliteration :)

  4. Brian says:

    Shame about the pot :(

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      right?!! i kept all the pieces and am hoping we can glue it back together lol

  5. Alana says:

    you guys are the cutest. i’m so sad your cute little pot broke but i love mike’s response to your where’s my pudding pot question. happiest of happy birthdays mike!! hope you get your fill of steak and frites and all things you love. :D

    1. Stephanie says:

      heehee, i was like, really pudding pot?!? wtf after all we went through?!?!

      we hit up a whiskey bar yesterday so i think it was a pretty good birthday :) thanks for the birthday wishes!

    2. Mike says:

      Thanks Alana! It was an awesome bday, best ramen of my life so far, too bad Steph couldn’t taste it, I’ll bring her back there though!

  6. Sylvia says:

    Oh no! After all that, the pot comes had that ending?!
    Love steak frites, that looks like the perfect birthday meal.

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      right?!!? it was like the pot wasn’t meant to be :(
      lol serves me right for not looking at what i was doing!

  7. Damn Mike, you’re good! I was just admiring those smoke on the water steak-y photos! I wish Rich wasn’t a vegetarian so we could have a “steak frites” thing too … !!! Happy birthday Mike!! (now off to read about the secret sauce…) :P

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      what about squash frites?!?!? mmm, oven roasted kabocha with curry sauce sounds pretty awesome to me too!!

    2. Mike says:

      Thanks Lyndsay! That sauce is actually really phenomenal, speaking purely non-biasedly of course.

  8. cynthia says:

    Hah oh NO, such a rollercoaster with the pudding pot! :( This steak looks absolutely amazing — I’ve been too scared to try my hand at steak but you’re convincing me otherwise. Especially with curry sauce!!

    1. Stephanie says:

      do it!! steak is delicious :)

  9. Francisco Éfe says:

    Just love the curly potatoes! Fantastic

  10. Doug says:

    This looks amazing! I always have trouble leaving my steak sit for 5 minutes, but it really makes a difference. It’s so satisfying to slice it when it’s perfectly cooked, having a good knife really helps!

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