The Dinner That Everyone Ate
We have young kids, and supper can be…challenging. The easiest meals to serve are usually ones that can be served in their separate components, knowing full well that some items will be left untouched. So, last week, it was a remarkable evening when we made this menu, everyone cleaned their plates, and it was 100% local as well!
Minute Steak & Frites with Corn
Minute steak is the simplest steak dinner there is, and it’s just delicious right out of the good old frying pan. The key is speed and high heat (you want sizzle when it hits the pan): it’s called minute steak for a reason!
Add to your order:
$8 – Pine View Farms All Natural Meats Minute steak (2 steaks per pkg)
$6 – 5 lbs Red or white potatoes
$7.25 – Lajord Colony hand-shucked frozen sweet corn
$6.99 – Ketchup from SALT (optional, but amazing)
Pantry items:
Cooking oil (canola, olive or try Three Farmers Camelina)
butter
salt & pepper (plus coarse salt for finishing, if desired)
Preparation:
About 40 minutes before you want to eat, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Wash 1 – 2 potatoes per person (depends on how much you love fries) and slice lengthwise into rough fries. Put potatoes into a large bowl, toss with about 2 tbsp of oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and turn out onto the cookie sheet. Pop them into the oven, stir and check for doneness at 10-minute intervals. Potatoes should be golden brown on at least one side. Finish with coarse salt when you take them out of the oven.
While the fries are cooking, prep the corn and steaks. Pop corn into a pot with just enough water to cover it, bring to a boil, and boil for about three minutes until done, or into a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water, and cook covered for about 1 – 3 minutes on high.
Prep your pan and steaks. Using your favourite frying pan, drop in a tablespoon of cooking oil and heat the oil in the pan to high heat. Sprinkle steaks with salt & pepper. When your pan is nice and hot, drop in a pat of butter and then, the steaks! Watch your time: about one minute per side for medium; two minutes per side will get you closer to well, depending on the thickness of the cut. The secret to enjoying, rather than overcooking, is that the steaks are in, then out, in under four minutes total. Remove steaks and rest them on a plate for up to ten minutes; throwing a dot of butter on each to melt (steakhouse secret!) and some coarse salt & pepper on top is optional, but certainly tasty.
Serve with ketchup for the fries, enjoy, and watch for nothing but empty plates at the end! Including ketchup, this meal can be made for just over $9 per person for a family of four.
Bon appetit!