Subject: Steak with French Fries (Steak Frites)
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Thu Sep 04 2003 - 10:19:23 EDT
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FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Fran in Seattle for this bit of food tomfoolery:
Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived
from either sugar CANE or sugar BEETS. Both are plants, which places them
in the vegetable category. Thus, chocolate is a vegetable.
To go one step further, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is
dairy. So candy bars are a health food.
Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all
count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.
If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too
slowly.
The problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot
car. The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off
your appetite, and you'll eat less.
If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge.
Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to
protect themselves. (We're testing this with other snack foods as well.)
If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a
balanced diet? Don't they actually counteract each other?
Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger.
Therefore, you need to eat more chocolate.
Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That
way, at least you'll get one thing done.
A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in
one place. Now, isn't that handy?
If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. But if
you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?
If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose. An
entire garment industry would be devastated. You can't let that happen, can
you?
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TODAY'S RECIPE
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"Steak frites" is perhaps the quintessential bistro dish. The French prefer
their beef steaks smaller than those we usually find in the United States,
so the emphasis should be on the quality rather than the quantity of the
meat. My version includes a savory butter to top the steaks.
Steak with French Fries (Steak Frites)
For the butter:
1 shallot, finely chopped
3/4 cup (180 ml) dry red wine
4 oz (125 g) butter cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the French fries:
3-4 large russet potatoes cut into 1/4-inch (5 mm) sticks
Peanut oil for deep frying
Kosher salt to taste
For the steaks:
4-6 New York strip steaks or other tenderloin steaks,
about 6 oz (170 g) each
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
To prepare the butter, bring the shallots and wine to a boil in a small
saucepan over moderate heat. Boil until all the wine has evaporated, about
10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, salt, and pepper
until the mixture is smooth except for the pieces of shallot. Refrigerate
for 1 hour before serving.
To prepare the French fries, soak the potato sticks in cold water for 20
minutes. Drain and rinse them, then pat them dry with paper towels. Heat at
least 3 inches (8 cm) of the oil in a large pot over high heat until it
reaches 325F (165C). Fry the potatoes in 3 or 4 batches until they are soft
and lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to drain
on paper towels using a slotted spatula and allow them to cool completely,
at least 20 minutes. Bring the oil to 375F (190C) and fry the potatoes
again until they are crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to
paper towels, sprinkle with kosher salt, and keep warm in the oven while
the remaining fries cook.
To prepare the steaks, have the meat at room temperature. Heat the olive
oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Season the steaks with salt
and pepper and, making sure the pan is very hot, saute the steaks until
done to the degree you prefer - about 2 minutes on each side for medium
rare. Transfer the steaks and fries to warm serving plates and top each
steak with 1 to 2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of the butter. Serves 4 to 6.
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