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["Heat oven to 450F", "Scrub the potatoes (I prefer them not peeled). Cut potatoes into just-shy-of 1/2-inch batons. Place in a large pot and cover with an inch or two of water. Set heat to high and set timer for 10 minutes. They should not boil- if it does, reduce the heat a bit. Cook the potatoes to ""al dente"" - one that is too firm to eat enjoyable, but has no crunch left.", "Meanwhile, coat a large baking sheet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and place it in the oven for a few minutes, so the oil gets very hot and rolls easily around the pan.", "Drain your potatoes and immediately spread them on oiled baking sheet in one layer. Drizzle with last tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast for 20 minutes, until golden, giving them a good shake about 10 minutes in. Repeat every 10 minutes until you get to about 30 minutes total.", "While the fries are doing their thing, make the steak. Season each side with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet or saute pan over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the steaks and sear for 1 minute on each side. Reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking, turning the steaks every other minute, until you see little pearls of blood come to the surface, about 6 to 8 minutes. The steaks should be cooked rare to medium for juicy, tender meat.", "Remove the steaks set aside to rest, about 10 minutes. Over medium heat, back to the pan add the shallots and let them get soft, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the splash of cognac and lemon juice and let thicken about 2 minutes. Drizzle these pan juices over the meat and serve at once with fries."]
