Steak Frites - the Great Steaks from France. Onglets and Bavettes in French Cuisine.

Steak Frites - Great Steaks from France. 
Onglets and Bavettes in French Cuisine   



A window into the world of steak frites.
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      North American and UK diners, accustomed to their own steakhouse experiences, couldn't help but notice a curious trend. Tourists returning from France weren't just raving about the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre or the Moulin Rouge and starred Michelin guide restaurants.  They were gushing about Steak Frites served in bistros, brasseries and unpretentious restaurants.  They spoke of succulent, perfectly cooked steaks, accompanied by crisp French fries or a fresh salad—all at a price that often undercut the cost of the cheapest steak in a restaurant back home. And, as if the culinary delight wasn't enough, each meal often came with a glass of wine, professional, unpretentious service, and—the cherry on top—a no obligatory tipping policy that truly eased the digestion.

So, where did the phenomenon of Steak Frites truly begin?

French restaurants are required by law to display their complete menu outside, though that is rarely followed to the letter. Instead, daily specials are often written on a blackboard (or a whiteboard) called an “ardoise”. Restaurant shorthand is used in all countries, but it’s usually only seen in the kitchen. Here, the restaurants that began the craze for steak frites saved space on their ardoise by writing Steak Frites or Steak Salade for their tasty and inexpensive Onglet et Pommes Frites, a US hanger steak, a UK skirt steak or a Steak Bavette et Pommes Frites, a hanger steak on both sides of the pond.  French diners understood what was being offered, and as for the visitors with little French, they learned quickly.  The rest is history.



Steak Frites
With French fries and Sauce Bearnaise.
(“What's in a name? That which we call an onglet or bavette
By any other name would taste as sweet.")
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The great steaks behind Steak Frites.

The secret behind steak frites lies in two flavorful cuts: An onglet is a US hanger steak, called a skirt steak in the UK.  While a steak bavette is a flank steak on both sides of the pond. 

French chefs are trained to separate the different cuts and to see how the grain of the meat lies as well as most butchers and skirt and hanger steaks must be prepped very carefully to remove sinue and ensure tenderness.

Since France has no equivalent to the US Prime or US Choice, chefs personally inspect the age and internal marbling before buying.  In the kitchen, the chef or the sous chef cuts and often marinates the steak. These cuts produce excellent, flavorful steaks and have long been among the most popular and affordable choices on French menus..

To win back their well-traveled and experienced customers back some North American and UK steak houses even brought in French butchers. The steakhouses knew that these cuts that required a lot of extra work but Steak Frites are now a hit on menus throughout North America and the UK.

So, despite what many travel books and other texts would have us believe rump steaks and rib-eye steaks are NOT behind France's Steak Frites. In France, restaurants would go broke selling an entrecôte, a rib-eye, as a standard steak for steak frites, though, of course, you may pay extra and order that entrecôte.   

If you are visiting France, be ready for onglets and bavettes and in the kitchen and steak frites on the menu. The chef de partie, the line chef, will grill or fry the steaks to order. You may order these steaks from rare to medium-well; however, there is a caveat in France, there’s no such thing as a well-done steak frites.

Steak Frites on the menu:


Steak Frites – Steak and French fries.


Steak Salade – Steak and salad.


Steak Frites ± 180g – A 180-gram (6 1/2-ounce) steak with French fries.


Steak Frites, Salade Verte, Verre De Bordeaux ou Galopin De Biere – Steak with French fries and a green salad served with a glass of Bordeaux wine or a galopin, 125 ml (4.4 fl oz) of beer.


Steak Haché Frites – A chopped steak and French fries. Read the menu carefully; this is a chopped steak, close to a hamburger.

 

Ordering Steak Frites 

Ordering a steak requires little French. Every French server understands an order for steak frites!  But then comes the moment of truth: "Quelle cuisson, votre steak?" They're asking how you'd like it cooked, and this is where things get tricky for English speakers.

English terms such as medium-rare, medium, or well-done do not translate, conceptually, into restaurant French.

The word medium is used in French, (where a médium may connect you to the spirit world!), however, it’s not a word that is used for steaks. To order a steak in France cooked the way you like it, check out our detailed tips in Ordering a Steak in France. 

 

The steaks 

Bavettes 
Flank steaks

When navigating a French supermarket or boucherie, you might notice two distinct cuts labelled bavette: Bavette d'Aloyau and Bavette de Flanchet.

Both correspond to what we typically call skirt or flank steaks in North America and the UK. Historically, the Bavette d'Aloyau has been considered the slightly superior cut, though to offer a bit more tenderness or flavor. However, when both are skillfully cooked, grilled to perfection, and presented with golden fries and a robust red wine, I doubt anyone can tell the difference.


Steak Bavette et Frites

 

Bavette Grillée Frites/Salade – This is the quintessential, no-fuss steak frites experience found in countless French restaurants. It’s celebrated for its robust flavor and served simply with crisp French fries or a fresh, lightly dressed salad. This is the most straightforward and affordable option for a classic steak frites.

 

Bavette d'Aloyau Sauce à l'Echalote – A beloved classic, this dish pairs flavorful skirt steak with an aromatic shallot sauce.. The sauce is typically made by deglazing the pan with wine or vinegar and simmering finely minced shallots until tender and sweet; perfectly complementing the steak's character. N.B. Always confirm if fries are included; with this listing the fries may need to be ordered separately.

Bavette de Bœuf Frites Maison et Sauce Béarnaise – A more indulgent take on the classic steak frites by serving them with a Sauce Béarnaise. The inclusion of "Frites Maison" highlights French fries made with an in-house twist. Perhaps they will be twice-fried with the crispness that makes the very best frites.

 


Bavette Frites et Salade


Onglet

A US Hanger Steak, a UK Skirt Steak.

A hanger steak can have a tendon running through it, but given a choice between an onglet and a bavette, opt for the onglet. This cut comes from between the kidneys, which helps account for its stronger flavor. In a butcher’s display, you can distinguish an onglet from a bavette side-by-side: the onglet has darker meat. On the plate, it’s the flavor that truly makes the difference.

Onglet de Veau, Pommes Grenailles Rissolées, Jus Corsé – A veal hanger/skirt steak with pan-fried small new potatoes, served with a rich sauce made from the natural cooking juices.

Onglet, Pommes Frites – A skirt/hangar steak with French fries.Onglet de Bœuf Juste Poêlé Aux Échalotes – A perfectly pan-fried beef hanger/skirt steak flavored with shallots. N.B. This menu listing does not clearly note that it includes fries. Ask.