The Art of Cooking the Perfect Steak and Fries: A Conversation with Jeffers

In this conversation, we delve into the world of cooking steak and fries like a pro. Our host, Jeffers, shares his secrets on how to cook the perfect steak and fries that will leave you wanting more. From his technique for cooking steak to his approach to making fries, every detail is covered in this article.

Soaking, Washing, and Frying Fries

One of the most crucial steps in making delicious fries is soaking them. Jeffers explains that he doesn't soak his potatoes, opting instead to skip this step altogether. "I just throw them in the fat like that," he says with a chuckle. This approach allows him to achieve a crispy exterior and fluffy interior on his fries. However, some people swear by soaking their potatoes to remove excess starch and achieve a crisper finish.

Jeffers' method of making fries is similar to traditional French fry-making methods, but with a twist. He boils the cut potatoes in water for about 10 minutes to par-cook them, then drains and dries them before frying. This process ensures that his fries cook evenly and quickly, without becoming too greasy.

The English Method: Poaching Fries

Jeffers reveals that he actually prefers the English method of making fries, which involves boiling or poaching them in water instead of double-frying. He finds this approach to be more effective than traditional methods, resulting in a better texture and flavor. By poaching the potatoes before frying, Jeffers can achieve a crisper exterior and a fluffier interior without overcooking the potatoes.

Cooking Steak: The Secret to a Perfectly Cooked Steak

When it comes to cooking steak, Jeffers emphasizes the importance of using the right cut of meat. He recommends choosing a high-quality steak with good marbling for maximum flavor and tenderness. Once the steak is seasoned with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice, it's time to cook it.

Jeffers' technique involves searing the steak in hot oil until it reaches an internal temperature of 130°F (54°C), then finishing it off in the residual heat of the cast-iron skillet. This method ensures that the steak cooks evenly and retains its juiciness, while the crispy crust provides a satisfying texture.

The Finishing Touches: Celery Salt and Lemon Juice

To add a touch of elegance to his dish, Jeffers sprinkles a pinch of celery salt on top of the steak before serving. He claims that this adds a subtle yet sophisticated flavor that complements the natural taste of the beef. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a burst of citrus flavor, rounding out the dish.

The Verdict: A Perfectly Cooked Steak and Fries

In conclusion, Jeffers' approach to cooking steak and fries is all about technique, attention to detail, and a willingness to experiment with new methods. By following his lead, home cooks can achieve perfectly cooked steaks and crispy, flavorful fries that will leave their friends and family in awe. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice cook, this article provides valuable insights into the art of cooking steak and fries like a pro.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI'm going to make a staple from back in the day my beastro steak free but now let's do the steak this is called a hanger steak why do they call it a hanger steak hangs from there the last rib okay and it's two pieces I've cut it cuz this is big enough for probably yeah I guess that three people maybe four with the fries it was called a butcher steak because the butcher used to take it home cuz it used to be ah it's a throwaway everybody wanted the fet they wanted everything else and the ribey and the $59.99 now and all that now it's like almost expensive as sirloin yeah I think it's one of the best tasting steaks ever because it has a slight chew to it but it has the correct chew doesn't have a tough chew it has a really flavorful mouthy chew and it's got a nice tooth tooth and the the flavor of beef is insane we're going to do a dry rub the rub is pepper yeah oh let me smell that hold on tell me what it is oh smells like celery seed celery salt okay I love celery salt I put I put it everywhere I put on my roast chicken put on eggs I love it it's good on a hot dog it is it is in the SLO on a hot dog salt you're right yes paprika okay we're going to stir that together use this spoon and we're going to marinate this for two hours 3 hours not too long it's not that big Jeffrey I am so interested in the celery salt on this because I have mine and I hardly ever use it I never thought about putting it in a steak rub here we're going to rub that all in maybe it'll be good shaking over a burger with the salt and pepper absolutely love it right all right I'm going to put on on here so I'm just going to rub it in here and I'm going to put it in the uh fridge covered don't have to cover it but cover it and two to three hours oh would you put that in for so it gets dry two to three hours and what you really is really important when you take it out it must sit outside at room temperature for 2 hours must it's really important it has to get room temperature otherwise you'll have a raw steak inside and a crust outside really 2 hours so we have it here going to darken a bit it's fine and then a screaming hot pan right Jeff always really important let's have that scream a little more wow double can you give me a good scream okay good put that in hit the same screen put that in and leave it alone leave it you just all right we have the steak that was marinated room temperature in a very hot cast Iran pan now what what do I do I like to continually turn this why is that because all the fat inside of the steak pan is being rotated with the salt and the herbs and getting all that luscious it's almost like glaze on a glaze and you're kind of confing the beef while you cook it and so that's a technique I learned I learned this from a a great a really great chef uh Island Sak and he showed me how to cook a steak and he was French about well it's like almost like that note Alex always gives when she Sears she doesn't just let it sit move it around around a little reconnect move it around all that beautiful love is going to go on now I cooked this so the in inside is 130 like just above rare just above rare and then we're going to let it we're going to let it rest okay so I'm going to just touch it and I feel like it's it's getting there it's starting to let go now what I'm going to do this is something else I also do is when I feel it's about 100 I shut it off and keep it in the pan it's going to finish right there and it's going to rest at the same time M great all right we have our Earl it's about 33040 but we have a little potatoes granddaddy when you say and I like to cut the potatoes really thin I don't soak them I don't wash them and I just throw them in the fat like that so on a mandolin watch it keep your hands up just like that this is a russet and that's it mandolin right and just cut it and sort of like match sticks but thin enough so that they really fry fast you can soak it if you want to get the starch out of but I I'm lazy um I just don't like to do that now a lot of people do it a way like the English do it which what they do is they take a french fry and they boil it and water parcook it until it's just finished then they dry it and then fry it I actually think it's a better method than twice frying yeah I really think so the water boil huh actually poaching it in water not just in cool cooler oil okay we're there at 75 which means it's going to go down to 350 yes and then I'm just going to keep adding to them that way I don't overcrowd the pan yeah you don't want cuz it can bubble over it's going like cascad cascad you right then I have my beef you can see my beef over here is sitting it's about 130° it's just it's just it's it's just hanging around I'm going to take it out oh and I'm going to put it on the board it's got to rest some more so we're just going to leave that alone and let me get my potatoes in there I could eat that whole steak Jeffrey I'm just saying that it looks so I can eat that whole thing by myself I bet and look at these fries don't they look good so they're like just clumper now what's great about these fries is you can make them ahead of time they're not meant to be hot what what is not meant to be hot fries these are pom alet they just hang out like mattick potato chips you pile them high and they're like crunchy and salty like snacks like the Potato Sticks you got in a can yes look at these they've all C of like gorgeous right five minutes seven minutes make sure the fat is quiet when the fat is noisy it means it's still water in there you'll see you'll see the bubbles get lower and lower almost no bubbles you know they're ready to come out so quick too like they fry up so quick because they're so thin too so you got to keep an eye on them these are the type of fries where you try to figure out how many you can shove in your mouth at the same time but I like to do these ahead of time I say you don't have to serve them warm jeez Louise Jeffers look at that some salt let's do a little helicopter salt if you had a little little oh there it is wow wow wow oh more all right so what we've done here just to recap we have all those beautiful juices to which I add a little squidge of butter a squidge of butter squidge of butter and a squidge of lemon this cuz we want to collect this is gold in here is 100% gold so we're just going to we're not cooking it this heat in the residual heat and cast iron because cast irion is the B the bomb for heat all right all right that's ready that's ready oh here we go We Ready where our steak so our Ste it's really important it goes this way the grain so you got to cut of cut it across the grain maybe I can show you this piece here are you ready who wants this piece daddy oh I love the end bite look at that Perfection let me just make sure bro that done celery salt not done yet I've never done celery salt on beef I'm so excited to taste this the best thing about the kitchen is we're giving you stuff you know but then we're putting our Twist on it I'm ready for this twist okay that looks perfect yeah I'm ready little War Ready touch of the S on top and just put on the plate here okay so oh little bottom a little bottom little lemon oh beautiful oh yes here you go okay that's for you love fries please fre sorry I want the whole thing I want my whole comi right here my whole meal sauce in the bottom wef BR I want an end piece please perfectly cooked at least visually from here you know oh my God yeah and if listen to me this is the way you cook this steak but if you must you can go further but right it's yeah this is not a steak you want to medium well yeah cuz it it is chewy you know pleasantly chewy mhm this is really deeply delicious it's just so meaty and beefy that's the cut yeah but nothing you did got in the meats way the fries taste so potatoeyI'm going to make a staple from back in the day my beastro steak free but now let's do the steak this is called a hanger steak why do they call it a hanger steak hangs from there the last rib okay and it's two pieces I've cut it cuz this is big enough for probably yeah I guess that three people maybe four with the fries it was called a butcher steak because the butcher used to take it home cuz it used to be ah it's a throwaway everybody wanted the fet they wanted everything else and the ribey and the $59.99 now and all that now it's like almost expensive as sirloin yeah I think it's one of the best tasting steaks ever because it has a slight chew to it but it has the correct chew doesn't have a tough chew it has a really flavorful mouthy chew and it's got a nice tooth tooth and the the flavor of beef is insane we're going to do a dry rub the rub is pepper yeah oh let me smell that hold on tell me what it is oh smells like celery seed celery salt okay I love celery salt I put I put it everywhere I put on my roast chicken put on eggs I love it it's good on a hot dog it is it is in the SLO on a hot dog salt you're right yes paprika okay we're going to stir that together use this spoon and we're going to marinate this for two hours 3 hours not too long it's not that big Jeffrey I am so interested in the celery salt on this because I have mine and I hardly ever use it I never thought about putting it in a steak rub here we're going to rub that all in maybe it'll be good shaking over a burger with the salt and pepper absolutely love it right all right I'm going to put on on here so I'm just going to rub it in here and I'm going to put it in the uh fridge covered don't have to cover it but cover it and two to three hours oh would you put that in for so it gets dry two to three hours and what you really is really important when you take it out it must sit outside at room temperature for 2 hours must it's really important it has to get room temperature otherwise you'll have a raw steak inside and a crust outside really 2 hours so we have it here going to darken a bit it's fine and then a screaming hot pan right Jeff always really important let's have that scream a little more wow double can you give me a good scream okay good put that in hit the same screen put that in and leave it alone leave it you just all right we have the steak that was marinated room temperature in a very hot cast Iran pan now what what do I do I like to continually turn this why is that because all the fat inside of the steak pan is being rotated with the salt and the herbs and getting all that luscious it's almost like glaze on a glaze and you're kind of confing the beef while you cook it and so that's a technique I learned I learned this from a a great a really great chef uh Island Sak and he showed me how to cook a steak and he was French about well it's like almost like that note Alex always gives when she Sears she doesn't just let it sit move it around around a little reconnect move it around all that beautiful love is going to go on now I cooked this so the in inside is 130 like just above rare just above rare and then we're going to let it we're going to let it rest okay so I'm going to just touch it and I feel like it's it's getting there it's starting to let go now what I'm going to do this is something else I also do is when I feel it's about 100 I shut it off and keep it in the pan it's going to finish right there and it's going to rest at the same time M great all right we have our Earl it's about 33040 but we have a little potatoes granddaddy when you say and I like to cut the potatoes really thin I don't soak them I don't wash them and I just throw them in the fat like that so on a mandolin watch it keep your hands up just like that this is a russet and that's it mandolin right and just cut it and sort of like match sticks but thin enough so that they really fry fast you can soak it if you want to get the starch out of but I I'm lazy um I just don't like to do that now a lot of people do it a way like the English do it which what they do is they take a french fry and they boil it and water parcook it until it's just finished then they dry it and then fry it I actually think it's a better method than twice frying yeah I really think so the water boil huh actually poaching it in water not just in cool cooler oil okay we're there at 75 which means it's going to go down to 350 yes and then I'm just going to keep adding to them that way I don't overcrowd the pan yeah you don't want cuz it can bubble over it's going like cascad cascad you right then I have my beef you can see my beef over here is sitting it's about 130° it's just it's just it's it's just hanging around I'm going to take it out oh and I'm going to put it on the board it's got to rest some more so we're just going to leave that alone and let me get my potatoes in there I could eat that whole steak Jeffrey I'm just saying that it looks so I can eat that whole thing by myself I bet and look at these fries don't they look good so they're like just clumper now what's great about these fries is you can make them ahead of time they're not meant to be hot what what is not meant to be hot fries these are pom alet they just hang out like mattick potato chips you pile them high and they're like crunchy and salty like snacks like the Potato Sticks you got in a can yes look at these they've all C of like gorgeous right five minutes seven minutes make sure the fat is quiet when the fat is noisy it means it's still water in there you'll see you'll see the bubbles get lower and lower almost no bubbles you know they're ready to come out so quick too like they fry up so quick because they're so thin too so you got to keep an eye on them these are the type of fries where you try to figure out how many you can shove in your mouth at the same time but I like to do these ahead of time I say you don't have to serve them warm jeez Louise Jeffers look at that some salt let's do a little helicopter salt if you had a little little oh there it is wow wow wow oh more all right so what we've done here just to recap we have all those beautiful juices to which I add a little squidge of butter a squidge of butter squidge of butter and a squidge of lemon this cuz we want to collect this is gold in here is 100% gold so we're just going to we're not cooking it this heat in the residual heat and cast iron because cast irion is the B the bomb for heat all right all right that's ready that's ready oh here we go We Ready where our steak so our Ste it's really important it goes this way the grain so you got to cut of cut it across the grain maybe I can show you this piece here are you ready who wants this piece daddy oh I love the end bite look at that Perfection let me just make sure bro that done celery salt not done yet I've never done celery salt on beef I'm so excited to taste this the best thing about the kitchen is we're giving you stuff you know but then we're putting our Twist on it I'm ready for this twist okay that looks perfect yeah I'm ready little War Ready touch of the S on top and just put on the plate here okay so oh little bottom a little bottom little lemon oh beautiful oh yes here you go okay that's for you love fries please fre sorry I want the whole thing I want my whole comi right here my whole meal sauce in the bottom wef BR I want an end piece please perfectly cooked at least visually from here you know oh my God yeah and if listen to me this is the way you cook this steak but if you must you can go further but right it's yeah this is not a steak you want to medium well yeah cuz it it is chewy you know pleasantly chewy mhm this is really deeply delicious it's just so meaty and beefy that's the cut yeah but nothing you did got in the meats way the fries taste so potatoey\n"