Easily Make Steak Fries At Home With This Apple Slicer Hack

Is there a better side dish than fresh-from-the-fryer french fries? Whether you're enjoying a juicy burger, a crisp-skinned roast chicken, or a plump steak, thick-cut restaurant fries are almost always the right choice for the table. But if you love to cook at home, the truth is that you can easily enjoy those sturdy potato wedges with your meal, and it's relatively effortless to make them yourself. As long as you have an apple slicer sitting in your kitchen drawer, steak fries are just a few steps away.

Rather than try to evenly cut the fries yourself with a sharp knife, just break out the apple slicer. It may be specifically designed to slice apples, but it also works for potatoes and makes prep a breeze. While it will remove the center of the potato (since its job is to remove the apple core), you don't have to let that part go to waste. Just cut the larger middle pieces in half lengthwise, and you're ready to make some homemade steak fries.

The method here is almost no different than slicing apples. However, it's hard to stabilize a potato due to its rounded ends, so just cut the end of the potato to give it a flat surface. From there, use the slicer as usual — you can do this with sweet potatoes, too.

The method for cooking the steak fries is up to you; you can deep fry them, air fry them, or bake them. For the boldest flavor, deep frying is the best option. Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as canola or peanut oil, which will prevent the oil from burning. Since the wedges are thicker, heat the oil to between 325 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit, then fry the potatoes until they're golden brown — at least five minutes, or until they've reached your desired crispness. Once the french fries are done, season them with sea salt or kosher salt, plus any other seasonings you prefer. Garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika are great spices because they add plenty of flavor, but for a spicy element, try curry powder or chipotle seasoning.

Outside of the apple slicer trick, there are other ways you can ensure your steak fries will be a hit, including soaking the potato wedges in water for two and three hours before frying them. Soaking potatoes helps to remove their exterior starch; otherwise, they won't crisp up as well.

If you're deep frying, season the fries after they come out of the fryer; the residual oil will help the seasonings stick to the fries. However, if you're baking or air frying them, season them prior to the cooking process, or they will be too dry for the seasoning to stick. For these methods, you'll also want to keep the temperature around 400 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure they get perfectly crispy.

As far as what kind of potatoes to use, sweet potatoes are a great option, but when it comes to other potato varieties, be careful which ones you pick. Russet potatoes are generally recommended because they have less moisture than other potato varieties and are more solid, which helps them get extra crispy on the outside — something you'll want since those steak fries are thick and will have a softer center.