What Cuts of Meat Can be used for Steak Frites?

Steak frites is said to have been invented in Belgium, but how anyone can claim to have invented steak with fried potatoes escapes me. What is likely true is that whatever bistros served it, they were not using expensive tender cuts, such as filet mignon or a strip steak (though the latter would be perfectly fine here). A thrifty bistro would have used an inexpensive cut from the sirloin, the rump, or even a slice of top round. Today we have a range of cuts available to us, and they’re often called by different names depending on the butcher. The flat iron has become the traditional cut for a classic bistro-style steak frites because, while chewy, it’s got a rich, almost mineral flavor. This cut comes from the shoulder of the cow, sitting on the shoulder blade in a larger collection of muscles called a blade roast, top blade roast, or sometimes Spencer roast. The flat iron is right in the middle of it, divided by a layer of gristle. If your butcher doesn’t offer the flat iron, you can usually ask them to cut it for you (if they don’t know, tell them it’s that muscle in the middle of the blade roast; if that doesn’t help, find a new butcher).