Spice Rubbed Steak & Frites
Is grilling food something firmly stuck in summer? In my opinion, autumn may be the peak grilling season. The weather is so gorgeous, it begs to be enjoyed for as long as possible before the sun sets which means staying outdoor to cook dinner becomes a delight rather than a task to check off the list. These steaks bring a bit of warmth from the spice rub and the tangle of crisp ended fries and autumnal salad only add to the seasonal shine. Steak can be expensive, but we find two steaks feed our family with generous helpings of sides when we slice it thinly and dole it out from the cutting board. Also, anyone with a small child who balks at the thought of “chewy bits” can understand the ease of cutting any questionable parts off before sitting down at the dinner table.
Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings.
2 strip steaks (or whatever steak you can affordably get!)
Spice Rub:
1 teaspoon flaky salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon onion powder
a pinch of chili powder
Frites:
1 pound russet potatoes, cut into matchsticks
a healthy pour of olive oil
a healthy pinch of salt
Directions:
Grab your steaks from the fridge about an hour before cooking and rub the spice rub mixture all over. Set them on a plate and let them rest at room temperature until cooking. In the meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Cut your potatoes into matchsticks. I like to slice the potatoes into ½-ish inch slices longways, then lay them flat and cut those into sticks. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and put the potatoes on it. If you need two sheets to keep them from crowding, go for it! Drizzle the olive oil over the cut potatoes and spinkle with a healthy amount of salt. Use your hands to rub them to coat and spread flat with your hands. Pop them in the oven and set the timer for about 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, take the potatoes out and give them a flip with a metal spatula. Pop them back in for another 15-20 minutes. Now, heat your grill to medium high heat. Place the steak on the grill and don’t move it! Let it develop a nice crust on one side before flipping to get a crust on the other side. If your steaks are very thick you can pop them in the oven with the potatoes to finish cooking for 6-8 minutes. Rest the steak for about 5-10 minutes and slice thinly before serving!
