Recipes Grilled Strip Steaks with Sweet Potato Hash Browns 5.0 (4,396) 2 Reviews Chef Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, Alabama, notices a marked difference between strip steaks cooked with the bone and those cooked without it: "There is this added flavor that the bone lends to the beef, and it keeps the meat around the bone especially tender," he says. Stitt pairs these steaks with smoky sweet potato hash browns: "Sweet potatoes have so much personality for such an inexpensive, humble ingredient." More Steak Recipes By Frank Stitt Frank Stitt F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars Restaurants: Bottega, Chez Fonfon, Highlands Bar and Grill (Birmingham, AL) What are you most famous for? Braises, long-simmered stews, whether it’s with lamb, rabbit, guinea hen or beef cheeks. What’s your current food obsession? Using the whole animal, incorporating everything from the cheeks to the tail. You can work directly with the farmer. It helps them out. Best new store-bought ingredient? There’s a wonderful lemon vinegar called Huilerie Beaujolaise. It has a sweetness and tartness. I’m really excited about that. I use that vinegar for everything from dressing crab to making reductions for seafood to making vinaigrettes for vegetables. What ingredient will people be talking about in five years? Local honey and local eggs. We’re going to have more beekeepers and we’re going to be talking about different varieties of hens, whether it’s an Araucana or whether it’s a Rhode Island Red, and which one makes the best eggs. What will we always find in your fridge? There are always farm eggs. There’s always Dijon mustard and Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Champagne. Parmigiano-Reggiano, cured meats. Fra’ Mani—their salumetti piccolo is a current favorite. What’s your favorite snack? Some of our egg salad. Often I’ll put that on a Bays English muffin. Who is your food mentor? Richard Olney. I was so fascinated by his writing and his knowledge about food, wine and cooking, as well as the message about the importance of studying the history and the traditions of a dish. The more you study, the more you can incorporate a spirit of a dish. Favorite cookbook of all time? All of Elizabeth David’s books and Richard Olney’s books. Simple French Food is one that I go back to for the inspiration. What is the most cherished souvenir you've brought back from a trip? Ingredients from Slow Food, the Salone del Gusto, some different olive oils, vinegars and also smuggled truffles. What’s the best bang-for-your-buck ingredient, and how do you use it? Calabrian chiles. The ones that I like are these very small, round, red chiles that are packed in olive oil. They often will have the stem on. When you chop or crush them and add them to, say, goat cheese or mozzarella or a crostini or a vinaigrette, there is this wonderful flavor—not just the heat—but this flavor of pimento. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 11, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Tina Rupp Active Time: 35 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 4 sweet potatoes (1 3/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 6 ounces lean slab bacon, sliced 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 pound Vidalia or other sweet onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 tablespoons minced chives 1 teaspoon chopped thyme Salt and freshly ground pepper Four 12-ounce bone-in strip or shell steaks (see Note) Directions Light a grill. In a medium saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the sweet potatoes for 3 minutes; drain well. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Add the onions to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until browned, about 12 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 15 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook without stirring until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bacon, parsley, chives and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, season the steaks generously with salt and pepper and grill over high heat until nicely browned outside and medium-rare within, about 4 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve with the sweet potato hash browns. Make Ahead The hash browns can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead. Notes If you want to cook 2-inch-thick steaks like the one pictured, grill the meat over medium-high heat, turning every 5 minutes, until browned outside and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 130° for medium-rare, about 25 minutes total. Suggested Pairing These luscious steaks demand a concentrated wine with ample tannins, like a Cabernet Sauvignon. Rate it Print