Great marinades and sauces for steak and chips

There’s no doubt that steak and chips are one of the finest meals around. It’s a classic combo that has remained on menus around the world for years, and with good reason. This dish can be taken to new heights, however, with a delicious marinade before we cook the steak, and a tasty sauce to serve on the side. I’m going to share with you my favourite marinades and sauces that are perfect with steak and chips.

One of the joys of beef, apart from its wonderful taste, is that it’s a versatile meat that adapts to many cuisines around the world. Chips are the perfect accompaniment to a good steak. If you’ve got time, prepare them the traditional way, and fry them twice: once at 130˚C for 6-7 minutes to cook them through, then a second fry at 190˚C for 4-5 minutes, to get them really crispy. If you’re in a rush, McCain Triple Cooked Gastro Chips make a great alternative.

Classic steak marinade

• 50ml Worcestershire sauce
• 2tsp Dijon mustard
• the leaves from 2-3 stalks of rosemary (finely chopped)
• 1 garlic clove (finely chopped)

This marinade is a great all-rounder. Simply combine all the ingredients, then rub all over your steaks. Ideally, the meat should marinate for a few hours, but if you’re in a hurry, 30-40 minutes will still do the trick.

Thai-style marinade

• 1 stalk of lemongrass
• two Thai/bird’s eye chillies
• 1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
• 1tsp of dark brown sugar
• 25ml light soy sauce
• juice and zest of 1 lime

Deeply aromatic, this is a great marinade for lovers of spicy food. ‘Bruise’ the lemongrass by hitting it with the blunt edge of a knife a few times – this releases all the aromas. Combine with the rest of the ingredients, and stir well to dissolve the sugar, then rub over your steaks. Again, the longer you can leave it, the better, but 30 minutes should be the minimum marinade time.

Steak fajita marinade

• juice of two limes
• 50ml pineapple juice
• 1tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2tsp hot chilli powder
• 1tsp ground cumin
• small bunch of coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• 2tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

This is the perfect marinade if you fancy something Mexican. Try to get smoked paprika if you can – it adds an extra dimension that normal paprika doesn’t have. Simply combine all the ingredients and pour over your steak. This marinade doesn’t need quite as long – a couple of hours will do the trick.

Bearnaise sauce

• 50ml white wine vinegar
• dash of lemon juice
• small bunch of tarragon (finely chopped)
• 1 shallot, sliced thinly
• 2 egg yolks
• 175g melted butter

Method

• boil the vinegar, lemon juice, tarragon and shallots, reduce by half, then strain and cool
• mix the reduced liquid and egg yolks then whisk in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until the mixture thickens
• remove from heat and slowly add the melted butter, whisking as you do so, until all incorporated
• add a touch more chopped tarragon and season with salt and pepper.

This rich, buttery sauce is a classic accompaniment to steak. Bearnaise sauce is very similar to hollandaise sauce, with the addition of tarragon giving a herbal, piquant twist. 

Red Wine Sauce (Bordelaise)

• 25g butter
• 6 shallots, sliced thinly
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• thyme leaves (from 4-5 sprigs), chopped
• 350ml red wine
• 350ml beef stock

Method

• warm 20g of the butter in a pan on a moderate heat then soften the shallots for a few minutes
• add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes
• add the thyme and red wine, then turn up the heat and let the liquid reduce
• add the beef stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes
• add the remaining butter and whisk in to give the sauce a smooth sheen.

Another classic sauce for steak, this one uses red wine and beef stock to give a rich, warming sauce that goes really well with steak. You don’t have to use expensive wine, but do use one that you would actually drink!

Chimichurri

• a handful of flat-leaf parsley
• large handful of oregano (leaves picked)
• 2 red chillies, seeds removed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5tbsp red wine vinegar
• 5tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Method

• put the parsley, oregano, chillies and garlic into a blender/food processor and blitz until you have a paste
• add the vinegar and olive oil to the paste and pulse until you have a consistency you’re happy with (it shouldn’t be too thin)
• season to taste and serve.

Chimichurri is the chunkiest of the three sauces I’ve described, and I think it’s the perfect accompaniment to steak and chips. It’s spicy, packed with flavour, and gives the dish real zing. It’s popular in South America (where they know a thing or two about steak), and it’s very quick to make. If you can’t find fresh oregano, dried will be fine, but only use a couple of teaspoons.

We all know how delicious steak and chips are, but I think that these marinades and sauces take this classic dish to the next level. Of course, you’re free to tweak the recipes if you want more spice or prefer a different herb. Try them all and see which one you like best, and bon appétit!

*Collaborative*