Side Dishes for Steak

[jsmeeker]

This past weekend, the How to Cook a Thick Steak topic inspired me to buy a thick steak that I saw on sale at the grocery store and try a steak cooking method that I had not tried before. For a side dish, I made something I had never had made before at home (but have had in a restaurant). I made a cauliflower puree.

This got me to thinking about side dishes for steaks. I started to think about what one would find on a menu at a steak join. Baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, steak fries. Creamed spinach, creamed corn. Sautéed mushrooms. it seems like most every place as the same stuff.

So, when you are at home, what are you serving with your steaks. Are you serving those steak house classics? Or are you whipping up something a little unusual? Classics are great when done well. They can be very comforting. But new and/or unusual is always welcome.

[David Ross]

What I call "frizzled onions"--sweet onions, sliced very thin, soaked in milk, then coated in flour and "frizzled" or deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown. Takes only about 2 minutes, then you season them with Old Bay and paprika-yes, a bit of an odd seasoning mix but it works with the flavor of the sweet onion.

[Okanagancook]

Some good ones we like are stuffed mushrooms (bechamel sauce with either crab, spinach or minced mushrooms....Time Life Cookbook: Provincial France); Grilled Texas Garlic Toast; Grilled tomato halves with basil oil drizzle; double baked potatoes from CI; baked onions from Julia or just a nice lightly dressed Caesar Salad. We cooked a thick steak the other day and tried the flip in the pan every minute method until the right temp was reached....worked out well and not too messy.

[annachan]

I actually love some plain rice with my steak. I love it when the rice soaks up the beef juices. Spatzle or couscous will go well, too. Roasted vegetables are great - tomatoes, zucchinis, cauliflower, green beans, etc. As for potatoes, I roast them (season with cumin sometimes) when I want something quick and easy. But gratin is my favorite.

[maggiethecat]

There are several sides I might make , according to mood, but creamed spinach is a necessary adjunct on the plate in the few times a year I throw the money for a great steak.

[Blether]

Potatoes I usually mash (sometimes with chopped garlic browned in the butter). I agree gratin is good. I'm not keen on the French thing with chips, i.e. French Fries.

I choose tenderloin steak more often than any other. I don't think its flavour stands up to strong things like green or red peppers. On the side I'll typically have sprouts or broccoli (cheap and plentiful, apart from anything else).

With the steak itself, caramelised onions, or the same with a wine deglaze, or often a cream sauce (again deglazing). Mushrooms work with the cream. Salt, pepper and maybe some mustard. The best steak I've had recently was en croute, simply with seasoned caramelised onions. I tried Gordon Ramsay's mushroom-paste-and-prosciutto version and didn't think it was better.

Here's one from New Year's Day. I'd no onions so I used some chopped leek:

ETA: since the financial crash, the yen is strong and excellent tenderloin is 29-35 bucks a kilo. It's steak season.

Edited January 12, 2010 by Blether (log)

[ray goud]

The simpler the better: slices of juicy ripe tomato and mashed potatoes or fries.

Ray

[Joe Blowe]

Where's the steak?

[paulraphael]

There are classic complementary flavors like browned onions or shallots, possibly prepared wth some red wine, or anything with mushrooms: sautéed wild mushrooms in any form are delicious. I often serve something green. In this capacity I like something that isn't too assertive with flavor but that has a nice texture. Baby bok choy is a favorite. For starches I like things that can be plated away from the meat ... i don't want it interfering with any sauce. all the usual potato suspects are fine, but i've becom a sucker for purées based on celeriac.

[paulraphael]

Where's the steak?

good god! seriously!

[jk1002]

I have this down as my religion.

It has to be a New York Strip. I cut up with a chefs knife 2 or 3 russets into 1/4 fries. I used to double fry but now follow the cooking issue approach and cook and dry before the 2 fry steps. The fries are topped with fresh rosemary and sea salt. I use some some demi glace and maybe port or madeira for a quick pan sauce. Ketchup for the fries on the side in a tiny bowl.

Beforehand a Martini, during dinner a red wine, afterwards cheesecake. Then if I have it to support digestion a churchill size Romeo y Julieta cuban cigar with either wine or a malt.

I don't do this more then once a month, I don't always have cubans or cheesecake. I used to go into steak houses but usually ended up frustrated about little things so I gave up on those.

[eternal]

I have this down as my religion.

It has to be a New York Strip. I cut up with a chefs knife 2 or 3 russets into 1/4 fries. I used to double fry but now follow the cooking issue approach and cook and dry before the 2 fry steps. The fries are topped with fresh rosemary and sea salt. I use some some demi glace and maybe port or madeira for a quick pan sauce. Ketchup for the fries on the side in a tiny bowl.

Beforehand a Martini, during dinner a red wine, afterwards cheesecake. Then if I have it to support digestion a churchill size Romeo y Julieta cuban cigar with either wine or a malt.

I don't do this more then once a month, I don't always have cubans or cheesecake. I used to go into steak houses but usually ended up frustrated about little things so I gave up on those.

Sounds like a wonderful night.

[therippa]

90% of the time it's fingerling or baby yukon golds roasted with duck fat and herbs de provence and roasted asparagus with olive oil. Conveniently I cook them both at 425, which is the same temp I use to finish off the steaks in the oven after pan searing while I make a pan sauce, lately with shallot, red wine and french laundry veal stock (12 minutes for asparagus and 25 minutes for potatoes)

[Blether]

Where's the steak?

good god! seriously!

Too much sauce for you guys ?

[roosterchef21]

My favourites are Brussel Sprouts, Creamed Silverbeet, Onion Rings, Mashed Potatoes and Big Thick F off Chips.

[Doodad]

Depends on the season. If it is cold out, it is a pan cooked steak with a red wine pan sauce, root vege of some kind, carmelized onions, roast mushrooms are all required. Then usually another green vegetable of some kind or salad. And bread.

When it is warm and I am on the grill, ie no pan sauce a salsa instead, it is usually grilled vegetables like zucchini to accompany. Grilled portobellos, baked onion, grilled sourdough. It gets hot here in GA so if it can all be cooked on the grill while I enjoy an ice cold beer and only salad is done in the kitchen, then it is all good.

I must admit that lately my wife is in love with root purees. So I have tried a variety to serve the steak on.

[John Rosevear]

If I'm having a steak (almost always a strip or porterhouse), odds are that my kids are having burgers, and they love it when I make fries. I enjoy the whole steak frites thing so that works for me as well. Generally I'll add a salad or any of several roasted vegetables (asparagus is popular, in season), but there's no set specific routine.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Usually vegetables of some sort in season. I like the standards like creamed spinach, creamed onions, glazed carrots, steamed broccoli or brussels sprouts, corn in season, salads and such, baked potatoes, fries, or rösti particularly if I'm making a sauce. Sometimes I'll do caramelized mushrooms and onions as a garnish or maybe a relish with tomato, onion, olives, and sherry vinegar. I made a porterhouse yesterday ($5.97/lb yesterday at the local supermarket for a thick one was too good to pass up) with fries and baby bella mushrooms with a mushroomy sauce à la Laguipierre.

[rooftop1000]

If I make steak in the summer it usually just goes with grilled bread and a big tomato cucumber salad..that way I dont have to make room for anything else on the plate but the steak.

I more ofted grill skirt steak to use in a burrito/soft taco/fahitaesque dish we like.

tracey

[OliverB]

Last night I made two prime rib eye steaks by first searing them in a very hot cast iron grill pan to get nice markings, then finished them on a plate in a 200 degree oven. While they were in there I also put sliced pineapple in the grill pan to get nice dark grill marks on both sides, in the oven they went too. Mashed potatoes with turnips and garlic in them and a salad.

In summer I like to put unshucked corn on the bbq to serve. Might also fire roast peppers and other veggies, cut teh corn off the cob and make a veggie salad.

Or a sweet and spicy fruit salsa, pineapple like above, mango, lime, cilantro, s&p and some cayenne or similar.

Mushrooms have already been mentioned.

Garlic or herb butter.

Garlic bread

A version of zazicki (sp?), i.e. shredded cucumber with yogurt dressing and garlic

In winter any hard squash, from spaghetti to acorn. Roasted, cut into 1.8ths, peeled and maybe fried a bit in butter to give some color on the cut sides.

Roasted corn salad (not creamed)

Beans in any which way they come, be it fresh fava or some wonderful heirlooms from Rancho Gordo or just a nice green bean salad. Steamed beans, thinly sliced red onions marinated in sugar and red wine vinegar for a while, s&p and good olive oil.

Radishes as salad, marinated, or just on the side. Little red ones or the long white ones (daikon).

Chutneys if on hand

[Heartsurgeon]

must have sides with steak?

good wine

good bread

and Bearnaise sauce...

if you insist on a true "side dish",

it could be anything with Bearnaise sauce on top, to wit

asparagus with Bearnaise sauce

french fries with Bearnaise sauce

it doesn't matter

figure out how to make your own Bearnaise sauce, and smother the steak and anything else that is edible with it, and chow down.

[powerplantop]

I love creamed or sauteed garlic spinage but tonight I did Asparagus.

[syoung68]

Last night I cooked two ribeyes and had blanched green beans and red onions then sauteed them with a vinaigrette. I also like grilled radicchio or a grilled romaine salad with blue cheese and bacon.

We rarely do potatoes, but when we do it is usually rosemary or garlic fries.

[Peter the eater]

Steak sides at home? A green veg, something starchy like a bun or potato, and a mound of horseradish. And freshly cracked black pepper and some flaky salt.

[Ian Wainwright]

Pinto beans flavored up with some good ground red chiles.