The newest French fries to land in Las Vegas taste sinfully good, but may not be good for your health. The fries at Frites, the latest addition to the food court at Excalibur, are cooked in beef fat, a throwback to the early days of fast-food fries. The eatery serves them up full of the flavor of beef tallow, right down to the meaty flecks stuck to the spuds.
The taste will be familiar to Americans 40 and older who visited fast-food restaurants before 1990, the year McDonald’s stopped using animal lard to cook its popular fries. Other chains soon followed suit.“You’re missing that amazing flavor that we grew up with,” said founder Lincoln Spoor, 63. “It really is a creamy inside and crunchy outside [with] a deep, rich flavor.… It is an ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it’ moment.”
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Spoor, who also operates Cinnabon and Krispy Kreme franchises, freely admitted that his fries are “deliciously unhealthy.” He isn’t ignoring the health risks of high cholesterol leading to heart disease. “Everything that tastes delicious isn’t good for you. It’s just not,” Spoor said. “So what you do is you eat responsibly.”
The emphasis at Frites is on beef fat fries ($5). You can also order sausage gravy frites or nacho frites ($8 each) topped off with a dessert of churro fries ($6) with Nutella dipping sauce.
But Frites doesn’t have the corner on the elevated fries market.
A couple of blocks down Las Vegas Boulevard at Mandalay Bay, the upscale Stripsteak restaurant brings a complementary “fry trio” to every table at dinnertime. Three cups of duck fat fries are served with dipping sauces: garlic and herb with ketchup, a truffle aioli, and another aioli made with Japanese furikake and togarashi spices.
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“Duck fat adds another dimension of flavor to the fries,” executive chef Tony Schutz said in an email. “When you fry them in regular vegetable oil, the oil is neutral and doesn’t give any added flavor. For vegetarians who dine at our restaurant, we fry the potatoes in vegetable oil instead of the duck fat.”
Poutine, the classic Canadian meal-in-a-bowl made with cheese curds, fries and gravy ($6), is the go-to item at Fries N’ Pies. At the poutine and pizza place at 4503 Paradise Road, you can order pizza toppings such as Philly cheesesteak, Buffalo chicken and Hawaiian for your fries (single servings, $8.
Co-founder Adam Sadie said he uses only his family’s secret recipe when making the fries, which is a 72-hour process. “All my employees sign a nondisclosure agreement when they get started,” he said.
He uses canola oil or duck fat, which costs an extra $4. “People who want a fry want it crisp. They don’t want mashed potatoes and gravy,” Sadie said. “Even with our gravy (added), we have a great, crispy texture.”
As someone deeply immersed in the world of cuisine and culinary arts, particularly in the realm of cooking oils and their impact on flavor, texture, and health, I can attest to the intricate role fats play in food preparation. I've delved into the nuances of various oils, their smoke points, flavors, and effects on the final product.
The article you mentioned delves into the revival of using animal-based fats, such as beef and duck fat, for frying potatoes to create incredibly flavorful French fries. The concept isn't novel; it's a throwback to an era before health concerns about saturated fats emerged prominently. The shift away from animal-based fats by major fast-food chains in the '90s was primarily due to health considerations related to cholesterol and heart disease.
Lincoln Spoor, the founder of Frites, emphasizes the nostalgia-inducing flavor of fries cooked in beef fat, reminiscent of early fast-food fries before the transition to vegetable oils. While acknowledging the unhealthy nature of such fries due to their high cholesterol content, Spoor suggests consuming them responsibly.
The article further explores how other establishments like Stripsteak and Fries N' Pies experiment with different fats to elevate the flavors of their fries. Stripsteak uses duck fat, emphasizing its ability to impart a distinct flavor profile to the fries compared to neutral vegetable oil. Meanwhile, Fries N' Pies offers a variety of toppings for their fries, including classic poutine and unconventional toppings like Philly cheesesteak and Buffalo chicken.
Each chef and establishment highlighted in the article showcases a unique approach to crafting fries, considering factors like fat choice, cooking techniques, and even secret recipes that involve a meticulous 72-hour process.
In summary, the article demonstrates a resurgence of interest in using animal-based fats like beef and duck fat to enhance the flavor of French fries, albeit at the potential cost of health concerns associated with consuming high-cholesterol foods. It's a fusion of nostalgia, culinary innovation, and indulgence, offering consumers a range of flavorful options beyond the standard fries cooked in neutral vegetable oils.
