Beef Steaks with Fried Potatoes is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of grilled beef steaks served with thinly-sliced potatoes fried in butter. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Beef Steaks with Fried Potatoes.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
BEEF-STEAKS WITH FRIED POTATOES, or BIFTEK AUX POMMES-DE-TERRE (a la mode Francaise).
606. INGREDIENTS.—2 lbs. of steak, 8 potatoes, 1/4 lb. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoonful of minced herbs.
Mode.—Put the butter into a frying or sauté pan, set it over the fire, and let it get very hot; peel, and cut the potatoes into long thin slices; put them into the hot butter, and fry them till of a nice brown colour. Now broil the steaks over a bright clear fire, turning them frequently, that every part may be equally done: as they should not be thick, 5 minutes will broil them. Put the herbs and seasoning in the butter the potatoes were fried in, pour it under the steak, and place the fried potatoes round, as a garnish. To have this dish in perfection, a portion of the fillet of the sirloin should be used, as the meat is generally so much more tender than that of the rump, and the steaks should be cut about 1/3 of an inch in thickness.
Time.—5 minutes to broil the steaks, and about the same time to fry the potatoes. Average cost, 1s. per lb.
Sufficient for 4 persons.
Seasonable all the year; but not so good in warm weather, as the meat cannot hang to get tender.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1kg beef steaks
8 potatoes
115g butter
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp herbs, minced
Method:
Peel the potatoes then cut into long, thin, strips. Melt the butter in a frying pan and when very hot add the hot butter and fry until nicely browned.
In the meantime, place the beef steaks under a hot grill and cook, turning frequently, until cooked to tour liking. When done, remove the potato strips from the butter with a slotted spoon. Stir the herbs into the butter and season to taste.
Pour this butter sauce onto a plate and sit the steaks on top. Arrange the potatoes around the outside as a garnish then serve.
