Smashed Spuds/Sliced Beef

2 pounds Kosher salt
8 small roasting potatoes, scrubbed and patted dry
OR:
1 leftover large potato, sliced into 8 pieces
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces New York strip steak
To Taste salt
To Taste pepper
2 ounces blue cheese

If you don’t have any leftover baked potatoes, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Pour the salt onto a rimmed baking sheet.

Place the roasting potatoes in a small bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon of the oil.  Place in a single layer on top of the kosher salt.  (You can add woody herbs such as thyme, sage, or rosemary on the salt if you like for extra aromatics).  Cover with foil and roast the potatoes for approximately 25 minutes, or until cooked and fork tender.  Remove the foil and allow the potatoes to cool.

You can save the salt and re-use.  Depending on their size, cut the potatoes in halves or quarters.

Season the steak with salt and pepper and heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 teaspoon of the oil and immediately place the steak in the pan.  For medium rare, cook for about 2½ minutes on each side, then allow the steak to rest on a cutting board. 

Discard the oil from the pan and wipe away any remaining particles with a paper towel.  Return the pan to the heat, and add the remaining oil.  Place the potatoes skin side down on a sturdy surface and gently smash them, using a mallet.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sauté the potatoes (either the roasted ones or the leftover large one) in the cast-iron pan until crisp on all sides.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

Slice the beef thin on a diagonal, and place on top of the smashed spuds on each of 8 plates or on a platter.  Add a dollop of the blue cheese on top.

Yields 8 servings.

Recipe compliments of Govind Armstrong from:
Small Bites, Big Nights: Seductive Little Plates for Intimate Occasions and Lavish Parties (Clarkson Potter, April 2007)