3-Ingredient Steak With Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

From the kitchen of Carly

Hanger steak meets crispy Parmesan potatoes in this unfussy weeknight dinner. Boil small potatoes until tender, crush them gently, then pan-fry until golden and crusty. The steak needs only salt and pepper to shine alongside them.

3-Ingredient Steak With Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

Hanger steak is the cut that tastes like it costs twice as much but doesn't, especially when you sear it hard and serve it sliced thin. The real star here, though, is the crushed potatoes, which get crispy edges and a Parmesan crust that outshines potatoes three times more complicated. Three ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and you've got dinner that feels like a restaurant meal.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 lbsmall new potatoes
  • 1Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cupolive oil, divided
  • 3/4 cupgrated Parmesan
  • 1hanger steak
  • 1Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cover the potatoes in a medium pot with cold water by 1 inch, season generously with salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until a fork slides through easily, 12 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Let them cool just enough to handle, then press each one down lightly with your palm to crush.

  2. Pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, then drop it to medium-low. Add half the potatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, turning once, until deeply golden, 15 to 20 minutes, then move them to a plate. Into the same pan, add the remaining potatoes along with another 3 tablespoons of oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt; cook, turning once, until golden brown, another 15 to 20 minutes. Return all the potatoes to the pan, scatter the Parmesan over the top, and toss to coat. Give it 1 to 2 more minutes on the heat until the cheese starts to crisp at the edges.

  3. While the second batch of potatoes cooks, set a large skillet over medium-high with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season the steak all over with salt and pepper, then lay it in the hot pan. Cook, turning occasionally, until the exterior is deep brown and an instant-read thermometer reads 125 degrees F for medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side.

  4. Rest the steak on a cutting board for a few minutes, then slice it thinly against the grain and plate it alongside the crispy Parmesan potatoes.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Crush the potatoes by hand after boiling, don't mash them. You want rough, broken surfaces that get golden and crunchy in the oil, not a smooth mash.
  • Don't skip cooking the potatoes in two batches. Crowding the pan steams them instead of browning them. Make the space work for you.
  • Slice the steak thin and against the grain. Hanger is a textured cut, and slicing right breaks up the chew and lets it feel more tender than it is.

Variations

  • Swap hanger for flank steak: same method, same 3-minute sear per side, just make sure to slice it thin against the grain.
  • Skip the Parmesan and finish with fresh herbs and fleur de sel instead, or go savory with crispy sage leaves tossed in at the end.
  • Roast the potatoes with the steak in a hot oven for 15 minutes instead of pan-frying them. Toss with Parmesan in the last minute of cooking.

Make ahead and storage

Potatoes keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days and reheat beautifully in a 375°F oven until crispy again. Leftover steak is best eaten cold or at room temperature in a sandwich, not reheated.