How To Make Delicious Steak Frites On A Budget

Steak frites are a French bistro classic, but that doesn't mean they aren't something you can treat yourself to at home for a more reasonable price. In fact, steak frites are the ideal budget luxury meal because so much of the markup at a restaurant is around the steak, which you can save big on just by cooking it yourself. So, to figure out exactly which affordable steak we should go with when making steak frites at home, we spoke to Evan Leichtling, the chef and owner of Seattle's Off Alley restaurant.

Leichtling tells us that there is a classic French cut that is exactly what we're looking for. "A great and very traditional bistro cut is the bavette steak, also known as flank steak here in the U.S.," the chef explains. "You'll see it all over Paris, and in more and more American restaurants." Sometimes called a flap steak, the bavette steak is cut from the bottom sirloin. This makes it relatively lean, but it has a looser, more tender texture, and it is considered very flavorful.

Lean steaks are usually more affordable. In fact, even local French bistro steak frites typically use more affordable cuts like bavette, so you won't be selling yourself short by going with some budget beef. But it's the bavette's tasty upside that makes it a great budget steak. It also works particularly well with high heat cooking like searing and grilling, making it ideal for steak frites.

When it comes to actually cooking a bavette steak for your steak frites, Leichtling has some clear advice. "Cook it on high bursts of heat, searing it quickly on each side for 1-2 minutes, letting it rest for 10 minutes," the chef explains. "[Repeat] this process until your desired cooking temperature is achieved." This can help you avoid overcooking it, as leaner cuts like bavette can get quite tough once they hit medium.

The one downside is that, while they are becoming more widely available, bavette steaks are not always an option at your standard grocery store. You can find flank steak more readily, but despite the fact that they come from the same area of the cow, an American flank steak is not always the same thing as bavette. Often, it's a bit tougher. If you are looking for an alternative to bavette for your steak frites, try a skirt steak instead. While often a bit more expensive than bavette, it is still a more affordable cut than more popular options like ribeye and strip steaks. Like bavette, it's flavorful and does well cooked over high heat, according to Leichtling.

Hanger steak is another similar, more affordable option, and has a loose texture that is akin to bavette. Finally, if you want a cut that's a little meatier than the thinner skirt and hanger steaks, tri tip is another relatively cheap cut of steak that is cut from the bottom sirloin like bavette. Believe it or not, there are quite a few good options for affordable steak frites — and your meal won't suffer for choosing them.