Mashed or Baked Potato for your Steak?
 

Potatoes are often a compliment for steak dishes. Mashed or baked seem to be the most common ones. I prefer mashed potato for my steak if both choices are presented as options. What about about you?

I prefer mashed as well. I like mixing the juice and fat from the steak with the potato; that's easier to do with mashed. Also the extra fat made in preparing the mashed (butter, cream) isn't bad either.

Mashed. Soaks up the juices better.

For a good steak, I want a plain potato, so probably baked. If the restaurant makes a simple mashed maybe mashed, but for the most part the potato is secondary to the butter, cream, garlic, cheese, etc they mix in.

I'll take out all the flesh, mash it up, and sop up the juice with it, then probably enjoy the skin.

Neither, Dauphinoise for preferance or good fries.

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Garlic smashed potatoes ^^

I think mashed potatoes are peasant food and a cop-out for todays restaurants.
A few years ago , if you served your guests mashed potatoes it was almost an insult. People enjoyed small baked red potatoes, done in spices or wild rice as a side dish,
Mashed potatoes are cheap and easy to make and to add the word garlic makes them seem exotic, but basically it's just cheap filler food! And usually lumpy!
Restaurants are really capitalizing on this concept but I refuse to accept it.

Should be saved for turkey dinners at Thanksgiving and Christmas, masked with gravy. I whip mine with cream cheese, milk and butter.

+1
Potatoes in general are a cheap filler food. Don't matter if they are baked, fried, mashed, smashed, boiled, broiled, raw. Give me a nice selection of steamed veggies or a side of mushrooms & garlic. I soak up the steak juice if any is left with a dinner roll.

+ 1 for fries. Steak/Frites is a national dish here in France.

Fries. But not just *any* fries. Thick, English "steak-cut" chips.

Neil

I love the hash brown potato dish that Morton's does. That's my favorite. Also gotta have creamed spinach.

I usually go fries unless I'm required to wear a tie or jacket at the restaurant, then it's mashed potatoes.

(bolding mine)
If the potatoes are free I don't really care. When we are talking about complementing my meal I prefer mashed potatoes with brown gravy.
;)

I'd settle for baked over mashed but prefer potatoes lyonnaise with my steak...

My mashed potatoes are fantastic, but I typically serve them with braised meats and not roasted or grilled meats.

I use my grandmother's 60 y/o potato ricer, so no lumps. I start with basic russet potatoes and add heavy cream, butter, salt and pepper. I finish with parmeggano reggianno and nutmeg.

I'm not following. Aren't rice and red potatoes just as cheap and easy to make as a good mashed potato? :confused:

I'm with magiciansampras on this one. Taking an Idaho potato out of the oven is alot easier than peeling (optional), mashing, and adding ingredients. Even your example of small red potatoes with spices is easier than mashed. And how exactly are mashed "cheaper"?

Baked.

I prefer a plain baked potato with the skin oiled and rolled in coarse salt.

However, if there's any possibility a food fight will break out, please serve me a big plateload of mashed. ^

Depends upon the steak for me. If I am having a chicken-fried steak, it's mashed potatoes. If it is a finer cut of steak, it's baked potatoes.

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As with a number of others, I like mash with steaks since it's a convenient vehicle to sop up juices.
I do like a nice big baked potato but (and I know this is bad :D ) I normally do it for all the crazy toppings... butter, sour cream, bacon bits, chives, etc, etc.

Duchess if dining out, Stuffed Twice Baked at home.

Rice :)

Hasselback potatoes & reindeer tenderloin... mmmm! :D

http://www.seasaltwithfood.com/2009/...-potatoes.html

I had my Birthday dinner at Roy's and my steak came with a poblano mash. It was so good, everyone kept eating it off my plate...so I had to get an extra side of it. Peasant food my a$$.

I'd take that over wild rice or red potatos any day of the week.

I've never been a fan of baked potatos.

Baked and oil, crispy outside skin, no salt, don't need the extra sodium. Hate these places that still served a BP wrapped in tin foil.

LOL ^

I'm happy with either but if given a choice, I prefer mashed. Especially with pepper, garlic and a little butter. And if I'm at Texas Roadhouse or some place with moderate quality steak, I love said mashed potatoes loaded (sour cream, bacon and cheese).

Au gratin. But if the choice is baked or mashed, then baked. Mashed potatoes without gravy are boring. With steak, you can't make gravy and pretend gravy is as bad as pretend potatoes. Baked it is!

mashed

Twice baked

:D Well said, as usual.

my mother's mashed potatos are boring. But they don't have to be!

First choice is oven baked
Second " Nuked " microwaved
Third Steak Fries

And as Starwood Lurker said Mashed with Chicken Fried Steak

BW

It shouldn't be legal to serve CFS any other way. (Goes without saying there must also be gravy.) Yummo. :)

prefer to crumple your TP or fold your TP?

Um, next time I am at a restaurant such as one owned by Alain Ducasse, or Joel Robuchon I will point this out ;) This is just so inaccurate. There is even a recipe for mashed potatoes in the cookbook based on Robuchons restaurant in Paris. It is difficult to make them well but when they are made well they are sublime.

As for with steak, I will take German fried or French fries.

If you ever have a chance to visit L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon, his signature mash (which is without gravy) is absolutely delicious and to die for. I'm pretty sure the way to make them is as top secret as the McDonalds Big Mac Sauce.

Well, if I had them with foie gras stuffed free-range quail, perhaps. ;)

Baked w/ butter, sour cream, and a dusting of your best cheese please!

Fries>Baked>Mashed for me... and of course, a great steak with a great wine is a must!