Steak with Beef Fat Potatoes & Chimichurri Recipe
By: Tristan Guilbeault
Instagram: @tristangcooks
Alberta is known for its beef and its residents are known for their love for it. It's been an Albertan staple for decades. This is a favourite of mine that is a delicious and straightforward twist on the classic. It makes for a very hearty, heavy dinner, and is sure to leave you full before bed. I believe a good steak is all about the technique, so here I’ve kept it delicious and simple!
Steak with Beef Fat Potatoes
Recipe from Tristan Guilbeault
Total Time (Preparation + Cooking): 30-45 minutes
Ingredients
● 1 Ribeye steak (we recommend Gemstone, Top Grass or Sunworks)
● Flaky sea salt (to taste; Chef uses Maldon but we recommend Vancouver Island)
● 3 tbsp beef tallow (we recommend High-Vibe Health)
● 300g Red nugget potatoes or any other potatoes (smaller ones are easier to smash)
● Cracked black pepper (to taste)
● Chimichurri (see recipe below)
Instructions
1. Take the steak out of the fridge and put on a seasoning tray. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on all sides, making sure not to over season. Let the steak come up to room temperature. Take a medium-sized pot and add your potatoes, cover with water, and a generous tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower slightly.
2. Check your potatoes with a fork or knife. If they are tender turn off heat and drain. Get a medium size pan on medium-high heat. Add 1⁄2 tbsp of beef tallow.
3. Sear your steak. Add it to one side of the hot pan, only for 30s-1min. Flip doing the same on the other side until a nice crust develops. Turn down heat to medium, and check the steak. Depending on the thickness of the steak, it should be close to done here, use a meat thermometer if needed. If it needs longer, or you prefer it cooked more, add more Tallow and gently baste steak with a spoon. Let rest.
4. While your potatoes are still hot, take a fork or potato masher and press down on your potatoes, smashing them. They should form a nice starchy patty. Take the pan you used for the steak and add the remaining beef tallow. Add potatoes to pan and season with salt and pepper. Once crispy on one side flip, season again and turn off heat.
5. Slice steak, put on a plate, add potatoes, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, serve with Chimichurri or pan sauce and enjoy!
SUBSTITUTIONS
This recipe is very simple. It is a play on the typical beef and potatoes, as such there is room for changes. Striploin, flat Iron, skirt, or any cut of steak are usable here. Amaranth carries fantastic ribeyes, so that is my choice for this recipe. Maldon is my preferred flaky sea salt but you can use other similar brands. Any type of potato can be used as well, the smaller ones are just easier to smash. Chimichurri is a favourite, but you can also easily make a pan gravy by adding 1 tablespoon flour to the beef tallow and adding 1/2 cup beef stock; reducing until a gravy forms.
METHOD
This recipe is all about technique. So I wanted to further explain some parts of this recipe. Bringing the steak to room temperature allows it to cook more evenly. Seasoning 30 minutes prior dries out the surface and allows for an even crust to form through the Maillard reaction. Maldon salt is typically used as a finishing salt, here I use it to season because I like how it melts when it comes into contact with heat. Adding the steak to one side of the pan, allows the other side to stay hot so when you flip it, it is getting an even sear. It is actually a myth you should only flip your steak once, so flip away!
Chimichurri is a South American condiment most well-known in countries such as Argentina and Uruguay. Originally created by an Irish adventurer in the Argentinian war for independence, named Jimmy Curry. The sauce was thrown together in minutes and served with steaks. The soldiers and the locals loved it so much, that the tradition continued. The acidity and herbaceous taste of chimichurri make it a delicious accompaniment with many kinds of meat and seafood. The fresh herbs, acid, olive oil, and spices are what make this sauce. It's balanced, light, the flavours are complementary, and it cuts the fattiness of rich meat beautifully. There is no steak served in my house without Chimichurri.
Chimichurri
Recipe from Tristan Guilbeault
Total Time (Preparation + Cooking): 10-20 minutes
Ingredients
● 1 bunch fresh cilantro
● 1 bunch fresh parsley
● 5 grams fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano
● 1⁄2 tsp chili flakes (more if you like spice)
● 120g Eden red wine vinegar
● 300g quality olive oil (Maison Orphee or Rallis are)
● 1 tsp cumin (toasted whole, or powder)
● 1⁄2 tsp cracked black pepper
● 1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
● Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Finely chop your herbs, careful not to bruise them, slicing only a few times. The key here is to roll your herbs into a ball and slice. Add to a bowl.
2. Mince garlic, with garlic press or a knife. Add to bowl.
3. Measure out oil, vinegar, black pepper, oregano, cumin, chilli flakes and add to bowl. Mix with a spoon, add salt until it tastes good and the flavours are bright. If your chimichurri tastes bitter or overtly acidic, add vinegar or oil to balance.
4. Allow 1 hour for flavours to marinate. Then serve at room temp over your favourite grilled meats, seafood or veg. Will keep in the fridge for up to one week.
VARIATIONS
With the versatility of this sauce comes its variations. Lemon goes excellent with fish, so naturally you can substitute some or all of the vinegar for fresh lemon juice and its zest. Other fresh herbs may be used: mint, tarragon, lemon balm, dill, rosemary, thyme, green onion, and chives (though some of these are a bit harder to find fresh). Fresh chilis can be used instead of chili flakes; confit garlic instead of raw. Amaranth has most of these ingredients you’d need to make this sauce (though some you may need to source elsewhere), fresh organic herbs, high-end spices, quality olive oil and vinegar. Whatever dish you have planned, whatever herbs you have, and whatever your palette prefers are all factors contributing to your chimichurri.
USES
This sauce has many great uses. It goes great with beef, pork, chicken and sausages. It is a delicious accompaniment to salmon, any kind of white fish, scallops and shrimp. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots are all fantastic with it as well. Try dipping a slice of Homestead sourdough in it, delicious!
For more recipes from Chef Tristan, follow him on Instagram.