What We're Craving Now: Meat & Potatoes

Those aren’t french fries scattered under Paladar’s 14-ounce gaucho steak. They’re yucca frites, cut from the crisp, fibery root that’s the equivalent of potatoes in the South American diet. Although the rib-eye is Midwestern, the dish’s name is a nod to Argentina’s flavors and famed beef. But it’s the sofrito atop the steak that gives the dish a fresh, gardeny taste and pulls the meat-and-starch combo far south. “It’s a sauce found in a lot of South American countries. Everyone has their own sofrito,” explains Michael Slater, a sous-chef at Paladar. “What we did as a spin on that, as opposed to pureeing it and making it a sauce, is to leave this as whole chunks of yellow pepper and red pepper.” 28601 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 900, Woodmere, 216-896-9020, paladarlatinkitchen.com