Steak frites explained

Steak frites, meaning "steak [and] fries" in the French language, is a dish consisting of a steak paired with fried potatoes. It is commonly served in Belgian and French brasseries, and is considered by some to be the national dish of Belgium, which claims to be the country of origin.^[1]

Historically, the rump steak was commonly used for this dish. Today, more commonly, the steak is an entrecôte also called rib eye, or scotch fillet (in Australia), pan-fried rare ("saignant"—literally "bloody"), in a pan reduction sauce, sometimes with hollandaise or béarnaise sauce, served with deep-fried potatoes ^{[2] [3]}

Steak frites is also common in other countries, such as Anglophone and Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, in the UK and Ireland it is simply Steak and chips.

Steak frites is the subject of a semiotic analysis by the French cultural theorist Roland Barthes in his 1957 work Mythologies.^[4]

See also

• Café de Paris sauce
• Moules-frites
• L'Entrecôte
• Brasserie

Notes and References

1. Book: Schehr. Lawrence R.. Weiss. Allen S.. French Food: On the Table On the Page and in French Culture. Routledge. Abingdon. 2001. 158. 0415936284.
2. Book: Bourdain, Anthony. Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook: strategies, recipes, and techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking. 2004. Bloomsbury. New York, NY. 978-1-58234-180-4. Jose de Meirelles . Philippe Lajaunie. 3 January 2012. 120 & 137.
3. Book: Beeton, Isabella Mary. The Book of Household Management. 1888. Ward, Lock & Company. London & New York. steak frites.. 3 January 2012. 770.
4. Book: Barthes . Roland . Lavers . Annette . Mythologies . 1972 . Hill and Wang . New York . 978-0-374-52150-9 . 62–64.