Carne Asada Fries With Sliced Steak and Chile Butter Sauce
Carne asada fries get the steak frites treatment with sliced steak, crisp shoestring fries, melted cheese, and a rich chile-butter sauce.
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- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 (1 pound; 450 g each) bone-in or boneless ribeye or New York strip steaks, about 1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 chiltepin chiles (see note), plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
- 6 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon masa harina or all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (260 ml) homemade chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cups (60 ml) brandy
- 2 quarts (1.9 L) neutral oil, such as peanut, vegetable, or canola, for frying
- 1 pound frozen french fries, preferably shoestring, or homemade shoestring fries
- 6 ounces grated full-fat, low-moisture mozzarella or other melting cheese
- 1 plum (Roma) tomato (4 ounces; 113 g), finely diced
- 1/2 small red onion (3 ounces; 85 g), finely diced
- 1/2 cup (15 g) fresh cilantro leaves, minced
Instructions
- 1
Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Season liberally with salt. Place on a plate or on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 48 hours.
- 2
Set a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add chiltepin, black peppercorns, oregano, and cumin. Toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a spice grinder and blend into a fine powder; set aside. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle to grind into a powder.
- 3
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In now-empty skillet, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add masa harina or flour and prepared spice blend and stir until fully incorporated. Add broth and brandy. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and reduce, stirring occasionally until it coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and set aside.
- 4
Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat oil to 425°F (220°C). Fry fries, gently stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until crispy, 3 to 6 minutes. Using a spider skimmer, transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt; set aside while cooking steaks.
- 5
In a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat until just smoking. Add steaks and cook, flipping every 2 minutes until well-browned on all sides (including edges, which you can sear by holding steaks sideways with tongs) and the internal temperature has reached 110°F (43°C) for rare or 130°F (54°C) for medium (steak will continue to cook for a bit afterward), 6 to 12 minutes depending on thickness and desired doneness. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for at least 5 minutes.
- 6
While steak rests, spread cheese over fries and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
- 7
Thinly slice steaks against the grain. Transfer fries and steaks to plates and top steaks with sauce. Top fries with tomato, onion, and cilantro. If desired, serve with a lime wedge and use your fingertips to crack a chiltepin chile over each steak.