Food

Bavette Frites with Hotel Butter and Aioli

By Lauren Medeiros On November 3rd, 2026

“Before I moved to Paris, my friend was renting a house in Toronto’s Chinatown. On Sundays, we’d cook dinner together and invite everyone we knew. Chinatown was the most affordable place to get a slab of bavette. We’d marinate it in soy sauce and beer with baking soda. When I opened Union, I reworked that marinade for steak frites, using my grandfather’s steak marinade as inspiration.” — Teo Paul

Ingredients

Serves 4

Hotel Butter (makes about 2 cups)

1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
1 shallot, diced
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1½ oz. (3 tbsp) Pernod liqueur
1 tsp Korean ground red pepper (gochugaru)
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Aioli (makes 6 cups)

9 egg yolks
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp white vinegar
5 cups canola oil
¼ cup mirin (Teo likes Honteri brand)
1 tsp salt

Tenderizing Steak Marinade

1 cup soy sauce
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp ground black pepper
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup water
1¾ lbs. flank steak
1 tsp duck fat or beef tallow

Home Frites

8 Yukon Gold or russet potatoes (russets are best in winter)
2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp baking soda
4 cups canola oil
4 tbsp beef tallow or duck fat (optional)

For Serving

4 tbsp Hotel Butter
½ cup Aioli

Directions

Make Hotel Butter

In blender, combine butter, shallot, parsley, Pernod, Korean pepper, and salt and black pepper, to taste. Blend until smooth. Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

Make Aioli

In food processor, combine yolks, Dijon, garlic and vinegar. Start blending and slowly drizzle in canola oil in steady stream. If you keep stream consistent, it’ll thicken into a tight emulsion. Thin with mirin to reach desired texture, then season with salt, to taste. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Tenderize Steak

In large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, pepper and baking soda. It should bubble a bit to show that the baking soda’s still active. Add water and stir to combine. Place steak in bowl and make sure it’s immersed. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

Start Frites

In last hour of steak marinating, prepare potatoes by peeling them, trimming ends and cutting lengthwise into even frites — 1″ thick for big frites, or about ½” for thinner frites. Rinse in cold water, stirring with your hands until water runs clear (about a minute).
Fill large pot about three-quarters full with water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and baking soda. Parboil frites until just tender. Drain and spread them on wire rack set over sheet pan — or on parchment if you don’t have one — and place in freezer to cool for 30 minutes.
When steak is almost ready to cook, heat canola oil and tallow, if using, in large pot to 285°F. Working in batches, blanch frites for 3 minutes. Remove and spread them back on tray, then freeze again for another 30 minutes.

Cook Steak

Heat heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and add duck fat. When pan is hot, add steak — it should sizzle and start to tighten up when it hits the pan but shouldn’t smoke. Now leave it alone. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Don’t flip or nudge it around pan: you’re going for that deep, golden sear. Then, flip and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. You can use a knife to lip check it. Set aside and rest.

Finish Frites and Serve

Bring frying oil to 375°F and fry frites until golden and crisp. Transfer to stainless steel bowl lined with paper towel and toss with remaining teaspoon of salt.
Divide steaks and frites among 4 plates. Top each steak with spoonful of Hotel Butter and serve frites with side of Aioli.

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