My mom used to make oven fries about once a month when I was growing up: two full baking sheets of crispy, oily potatoes. You might say that oven fries are a Shull family tradition, because I have made more than my fair share of oven fries once I left the nest. This batch yielded one of my best results.

 Crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. The skin adds delightful texture; I never peel my potatoes when making oven fries, it’s an extra step that detracts from the final product.

 And this pineapple Pico de Gallo was so light, fresh and summer. The dish and the weather were almost in perfect harmony.

This beautiful dish comes from an inspired blog called Half Baked Harvest, but I actually wasn’t looking at the recipe while I was in the kitchen, so things ended up a little different, but only slightly.

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Carne Asada with Pineapple Pico de Gallo

Marinade Ingredients

1.5 Pounds Flank Steak

1/2 Cup of Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup of Pineapple Juice

1/3 Cup of Sesame Oil

2 Limes

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce

1 Jalapeno (which, I actually forgot)

Fries

3 Medium/Large Russet Potatoes

2 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Pineapple Pico de Gallo

5 oz of Cherry Tomatoes

2 Roma Tomatoes

2 1/2 Cups of Fresh Cut Pineapple

Juice of One Lime

1/3 Cup of Sweet Onion

1 Jalapeno

1/2 Cup Cilantro

1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil

1 Clove of Garlic

To Finish

Cheddar cheese, Sour Cream, Avocado, Goat Cheese

Method 

Marinate the flank steak overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut potatoes evenly between 1/4″ and 1/2″.

Toss with oil.

Spread out the fries on prepared baking sheets, making sure there’s space between each fry. This is important. The fries will not be crispy if they’re crammed together.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Toss. Bake for another 10-20 minutes until crispy.

Meanwhile, grill the steak to desired doneness, on medium high probably 5-10 minutes per side.

Top with cheddar cheese, Pico, sliced flank steak, sour cream, goat cheese*, avocado and anything else your heart desires.

*This is to counteract the acidity of the Pico de Gallo. The original blog calls for Cajita cheese, which I also recommend, but I have a new rule about buying single-use cheeses–I decided to stop doing it.

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It was a very colorful dish that was a joy to photograph.