When ready to cook, season the steaks with salt and pepper, then set aside while you make the frites. Peel the potatoes, then cut into neat chips, about the thickness of a pencil. Rinse, then pat dry using a clean tea towel. Put the chips in a deep saucepan or small wok (they should come no more than a third of the way up the pan) and pour over enough oil to just cover. Put the pan over a medium heat, bring the oil to a simmer and carefully stir the chips using a wooden spoon. Turn up the heat to high so the oil bubbles quickly, and fry the chips, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick, until crisp and golden – the whole process will take 15-20 mins. Scoop the cooked chips out onto a train lined with kitchen paper using a slotted spoon, and set aside. (If you want to save even more time and effort, use an air fryer to cook frozen fries until crisp and golden.)
