What's your favorite steak side dish?

[Jenise]

Reading through Larry's thread just now, I found myself trying to picture Mike H's meal last Saturday night (I think in pictures), and the steak in my mind's eye looked rather forlorn because I didn't know what it was paired with.

I know a baked potato is the American classic. And I love, LOVE, baked potatoes, but I rarely serve them with steak for some reason. I guess it's because I tend to reflexively pair dry with wet, and steak plus baked potato is dry-dry to me. I'm more inclined, if serving potatoes, to serve a mash or gratin and save the bakers for a vegetarian lunchtime main course. We also love a mushroommy rice pilaf with steak, or in summer, a simple set of tomato slices lightly marinated in a vinaigrette and topped with chives and blue cheese.

What's with steak at your house?

For me it's still ye olde baked potato or fries for a t-bone, a porterhouse (my fave) or a ribeye. Of course, some corn on the cob doesn't hurt in this circumstance either. If it's a filet mignon or maybe a Chateau Briand, then the taters au gratin and maybe some nutmeg-scented spinach do quite nicely.

Depends on if its summer or winter. Summertime calls for potato salad and/or corn on the cob. Winter can be either a baked potato (with sour cream and butter) or string type pasta (spaghetti, linguini, angel hair) tossed with EVOO, garlic and romano cheese.

What's with steak at your house?

Caesar salad, or Baked Potato [edit: blush, can't believe I did that!!], or sauted (VERY lightly) spoon spinach.

A steakhouse we enjoyed before they closed served creamed spinach. Sounds like a mismatch, but it worked well.

A steakhouse we enjoyed before they closed served creamed spinach. Sounds like a mismatch, but it worked well.

Mismatch? It's perhaps the most classic of all the steakhouse pairings. I love it.

My number one pick has to be french fried potatoes - that and a steak, and a carafe of red and I'm a happy man.

Vegetables, usually steamed with a balsamic reduction. Just about anything green or yellow and sometimes carrots. Also, a small salad, almost always Romaine with a variety of chop ups -- apples, pears, tomatos, cucumbers.

Once in a great while, baby potatoes, steamed and then lightly sauteed.

Regards, Bob

I go back and forth between a baked potato, loaded with butter and sour cream and *good* pommes frites (picked that habit up in France.) I also love sauteed mushrooms and onions. Crusty bread, again with butter. And a tossed green salad with romaine and garden tomatoes and a *good* Roquefort dressing.

And, of course, a porterhouse would be my choice of steaks - cooked over CHARCOAL, rare (no reference to any previous threads intended.)

Guess I need a lot of "sides."

I go back and forth between a baked potato, loaded with butter and sour cream and *good* pommes frites (picked that habit up in France.) I also love sauteed mushrooms and onions. Crusty bread, again with butter. And a tossed green salad with romaine and garden tomatoes and a *good* Roquefort dressing.

And, of course, a porterhouse would be my choice of steaks - cooked over CHARCOAL, rare (no reference to any previous threads intended.)

Guess I need a lot of "sides."

Damn, I just made myself hungry!

I go back and forth between a baked potato, loaded with butter and sour cream and *good* pommes frites (picked that habit up in France.) I also love sauteed mushrooms and onions. Crusty bread, again with butter. And a tossed green salad with romaine and garden tomatoes and a *good* Roquefort dressing.

And, of course, a porterhouse would be my choice of steaks - cooked over CHARCOAL, rare (no reference to any previous threads intended.)

Guess I need a lot of "sides."

Damn, I just made myself hungry!

And, how in the hell could I have forgotten the red wine?!!!! I *have* to have a robust red wine with steak!

[Jenise]

Chef, Chef, Chef (not imploring, just in honor of your three posts): steak and fries. I like the combination okay, but I've never quite understood why this is a classic, must-have combination. Can you enlighten me?

Chef, Chef, Chef (not imploring, just in honor of your three posts): steak and fries. I like the combination okay, but I've never quite understood why this is a classic, must-have combination. Can you enlighten me?

Interesting question. What makes something "classic" anyway? Meat. Potatoes. I would have to say that it was a bistro staple, people liked the way they went together, and kept ordering it. Other restaurants observed this, and began serving them, too.

There's something about a hot pile of thin fries, dusted with salt, that just complements a rare steak like nothing else. It's simple, honest food - no manipulation, no fakery.

Used to be the typical baked potato with the works, green salad, and mushrooms
Now.... filet with mashed garlic, sour cream spuds, fresh roasted asparagus, and tomato, bread salad.

Ribeye, grilled - green beans with cherry toms, garlic and a sprinkle of balsamic. Sometimes with Osem Israeli Couscous, with lemon, parsley and garlic.

New York, or Sirloin - oven fries, a mixture of lots of different mushrooms sauteéd in butter, chives, garlic and onion. A musclun salad with a simple vinaigrette.

Mismatch? It's perhaps the most classic of all the steakhouse pairings. I love it.

Hey, I'm just a dumb old Okie. I don't know about them fancy things. I just learned about shoes a couple of years ago....

Hey, I'm just a dumb old Okie. I don't know about them fancy things. I just learned about shoes a couple of years ago....

Bucko,
What did you learn about shoes? Could it be where to place them?

Walt

Chef, Chef, Chef (not imploring, just in honor of your three posts): steak and fries. I like the combination okay, but I've never quite understood why this is a classic, must-have combination. Can you enlighten me?

I think what John said is close to the mark - elegant simplicity and no fakery. There were a couple of places I ate regularly in Paris where the menu was basically steak and frites. Fast, simple, no trickery.

In restaurants we tend, when we have several starches available, to associate fried potatoes with grilled entrees and dishes sauteed with a risotto or pilaf. Of course, there are some notable exceptions to these rules of thumb, kebabs come immediately to mind.

Frites, frites, and more frites.

Why is it classic? Perhaps because the fries are the best at sopping up the steak juices.

[Jenise]

I think what John said is close to the mark - elegant simplicity and no fakery.

Chef, John, Howie, and Michael J:

Michael's comment about sopping up the juices, Howie's comment about corn on the cob and Chef's comment about restaurants together made something click in my head: to me, steak is knife and fork food, and fries are finger food. (I know, they don't have to be and in a restaurant setting I would not eat with my hands, but that's how I relate to them nonetheless). So, of course, is corn on the cob. And I tend to not like mixed-instrument entrees 'cuz I'm a girl and I can't stand the grubby fingerprints on the cutlery or my ever-present wine glass: I want to eat the whole meal with my hands OR with a knife and fork, but never both.

And since steak is about the last thing I order in restaurants, not even in Europe have I ordered a steak and fries. Seems odd looking back since I tend to order local classics when I travel (mussels and frites--done it!), but there it is.

to me, steak is knife and fork food, and fries are finger food. I want to eat the whole meal with my hands OR with a knife and fork, but never both.

Huh?

I thought the fork was just to pin the steak down on the trencher so it didn't move around while you chowed down on it - no fingers needed (a bib is de rigeur though)

Since we are not major steak fans I was not going to reply but one side just jumps out. I agree with most that potatoes are the starch of choice. Baked potatoes are OK but I do not like french fries as they contain too much fat and pommes frites are great but good ones are terribly time consuming. For lack of a better word I will call my dish sauteed ptotatoes. Cut spuds into 1 1/2" cubes and partially cook in boiling water then drain. Just before serving put in a hot sautee pan with OO, minced garlic and fresh rosemary and brown. Taste is great, less fat and goes great with the steak, or in our case most anything you want to serve them with.
Walt

With steak fries and a field green salad w/a scant bit of bleu cheese dressing. That is carnivore heaven for me.

[Jenise]

Walt, excellent point. Even if good fries are GREAT with steak, good fries aren't so easy to come by. I learned a fabulous method for making oven fries from Cooks Illustrated a year or so ago--are you familiar with it? Low fat, great texture. I usually serve them with herb-crusted pounded skinless/boneless chicken breasts.

But when in a hurry, or when you want to put flavor into the potatoes, your method is great: crispy outsides and creamy insides. And no deep-fried guilt.

Low fat, great texture. I usually serve them with herb-crusted pounded skinless/boneless chicken breasts.

Either double fried (the ones that magically puff up) or the stringy matchstick type are great with steak.

I learned a fabulous method for making oven fries from Cooks Illustrated a year or so ago--are you familiar with it?

care to share, if you have a chance?