Steak Frites, a French classic..

Steak frites: the preparation of this French bistro classic is simple, and it is such a great dish!

What kind of meat to use is up for debate; ideally, hanger or flank steak, but rib eye or rump are also options. But the meat must not be too "high". Cut the edges of the meat where the fat is so that it does not "bend" in the pan and the steak is nicely flat. If you want it even thinner, wrap the meat in foil and beat it a bit. Season the steak with salt and pepper, heat the oil in a pan, and place it on it. Leave for 3 minutes. Then, as soon as you turn the steak, add a teaspoon of butter; be careful not to burn the butter; the steak would then have a burnt taste; the butter should be the colour of hazelnuts. Leave the steak on the other side for 2–3 minutes (or longer), depending on how well-done you like your meat.

Let the steak rest for 3 minutes before eating. You can put a dollop of herb-lemon butter on it, another French bistro classic:

250g of butter, tarragon and parsley in pieces (if there is no tarragon, I add chives or spring onion), the zest of one lemon, and the juice of half a lemon. The butter should be soft at room temperature. Mix everything, wrap it in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge to harden. It's a great quick "sauce" for your steaks.

Well, if you want to stick to the French tradition, only serve fries with the steak. They are best if you cut thick fries from potatoes, wash them thoroughly in cold water to wash off as much starch as possible, then throw them into boiling water, let them boil for 5 minutes, then carefully drain, let them cool completely (even in the fridge), and only then fry them in hot sunflower oil. Of course, this is not the real France; the pommes frites are pretty thin there. But the thicker ones are easier to prepare, and you have more chances that they will be really successful.