Steak Frites & Good Company

With some family in town, the night was set to be a plated nice meal. The night turned out to be an amazing meal, with amazing company. Menu for the night was straight forward and simple, with technique driven value food.

Andouille Scotch Egg w/ Sauce Bearnaise

Steak Frites w/ Cream Spinach

Dorginac's St. Joseph Bread

It was the first time back at Dorginac's since, Oh, seven years ago. Anywho, the store lived up to what I once knew it to be. For the steak frites dish, a cow flavored cheap cut of meat is the best bet. The store did not carry hangar steaks, so we reverted West to the Tri Tip sirloin cut. Spinach was on-sale and abundant, so the more the merrier. The andouille chosen was Creole Cottage, cheaper than the Dorginac's brand and a reliable source of quality.

Toasted cumin, peppercorn then added water, garlic, salt, thyme, sugar and shallot. Dissolved spices, then chilled with ice. Covered the steaks, let brine for three hours. Once brined, rinsed they were placed on a vegetable and herb bed in a 125F oven, coming to medium rare and just waiting to be seared in butter.

Milk, smoked, turkey neck, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorn were steeped for one hour then combined with blanched, drained spinach, blended and cooled. Frites were sliced on a Japanese mandoline, then cut into match sticks. THe sticks were blanched in oil and cooled. Once the meat was at medium rare, it was removed from the oven and set to rest for five minutes. The oil in the pan was smoking and ready to crust the meat. Seared, untouched on one side, then turned and pouleted with thyme, garlic, shallot and butter; the crust...made the steak. Blanched spinach was combined with the spinach mixture, to make amazing creamed spinach. Frites were seared off in hot oil, leaving a crunchy exterior and a fluffy interior. Sauce bearnaise was classic and well executed, leaving an emulsified buttery blanket over the steak.

Scotch Eggs, ahhhhh, Scotch Eggs. Placed fourteen eggs into a saucepan, one level and brought to a slow simmer. The eggs were ready in twenty minutes, cooled. Coating the eggs, was a stripped andouille herb mixture. Once poached and shelled, the eggs were wrapped in the andouille blanket, fried, sliced, sauce bearnaised, and enjoyed.

It was, what it should be...well prepared food, good people, and good conversation.

Thank You.