12 Things You Shouldn't Serve With Steak

When it comes to what to serve with steak, we're happy to report that you've got a lot of great choices. Just take a look at any steakhouse menu and you'll see the sundry options you have available to create a steak dinner that's utterly delicious and all your own. The thing is, while some side dishes featured on menus pair impeccably with steak, there are also some that simply fall flat. That's not all — you can also fall prey to making a faux pas or two when dishing up steak to guests you're entertaining at home if you aren't selective with your steak accompaniments.

Curious about which steak pairings make us writhe in discomfort? From drinks to side dishes and even condiments, we've rounded up some of our least favorite steak pairings to grace your plate. While you'll undoubtedly disagree with us on some of these, we think you'll agree that most simply don't work with a luxurious, high-quality slab of savory beef.

We find it hard to believe that some of you out there – according to Reddit — like to take chunks of steak meat and dip it in applesauce. To this, we can only offer one response ... yuck.

We acknowledge there are some meats out there that pair well with apples, for example, apples paired with pork is a common and delicious meal that defies our expectations a bit, but we stand by the fact that applesauce has no place on the adult dinner plate and certainly not anywhere near steak. Besides not enhancing steak flavors, we must say that adding applesauce to virtually any dinner entree is reminiscent of an elementary school lunch. We aren't saying we've never given applesauce a go when eating dinner, but what we are saying is that it isn't usually the most sophisticated pairing to serve with steak, especially when dining at a fancy steakhouse.

Because steak is so rich and heavy, it typically pairs well with lighter options that can help balance everything out. We agree that applesauce is indeed light, but it may be a bit too light — and too sweet — to really enhance the flavors of a savory steak cut.

When was the last time you thought of sampling a rich and creamy pudding or fresh vanilla yogurt alongside a savory, juicy ribeye? Probably never. The light and distinct taste of sweets just doesn't fare well with some savory options, like steak, for reasons we can't necessarily put our finger on.

Now, we'll admit that there are some nuances to this rule, which we totally get. For one, steak almost always pairs beautifully with a red wine, some of which can be quite sweet. It's also the case that a slightly sweet cocoa rub can bring out some wonderful warm flavors in your finished steak. Those, however, are the exceptions. 

There are also people who like to saddle up loaded sweet potatoes alongside steak. These sweet potatoes often come heaped with brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, marshmallows, and, dare we say, additional honey to make things almost offensively sugary. But while options like loaded sweet potatoes may be available on your local steakhouse menu, it doesn't necessarily mean that option goes perfectly with steak — does it?

In our opinion, it's best to enjoy dessert-style flavors after a rich, savory, and traditional meal rather than with it. Syrupy sweet tastes have no place on or alongside our steak.

Tomato sauce on steak? Believe it or not, some love it, and no, we aren't kidding. Although tomato sauce could technically be seen as an upgrade to ketchup, we still aren't willing to give it the green light. Hey, if the silky smooth goodness of ketchup isn't deemed appropriate for serving atop a steak, what makes you think a can of Hunt's tomato sauce is? We rest our case.

Tomato sauce is typically too bitter and acidic on its own without a little help from a few seasonings and a dash of sugar. In addition, the taste of tomato sauce tends to be bland and flavorless when used straight out of the can. Thus, we fail to understand how tomato sauce could, in any way, be deemed an acceptable dipping for a tender steak. We suppose if there's nothing else in your pantry and you just can't bear to eat your steak on its lonesome, then it's something you could try. But even then, we'd recommend looking up a few homemade steak sauce recipes before dousing your steak with something we'd traditionally associate with spaghetti. You might just thank us in the end!

Remember when we spoke about enjoying lighter options with steak over richer food fare? The same applies when pairing a good drink with a beefy steak dinner. Is milk a soothing and satiating option to complement beef? If it can be, it's a new one for us. But as most of us can attest, steak is best served with a light drink. A glass of red wine, whiskey, beer, tonic, or even plain water can do the trick, but thick and creamy milk? Nah, we'd rather save that for cookies.

With that said, you should know that cooking milk in steak, though peculiar, actually isn't such a bad idea. In fact, it's gained a bit of a cult following after the fictional character Charlie Kelly from the popular series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" helped make the dish popular. You basically boil the steak in milk along with seasonings to render an oddly delicious dinner creation, though even this still seems slightly weird in our estimation. Even so, people seem to love it despite it being a uniquely strange flavor mashup.

All in all, when it comes to slurping a glass of milk alongside a juicy steak, know that it isn't too common.  For some, it may even prove an even greater insult to the cow since you are eating its meat while also drinking its milk. Go figure!

Serving beans of any sort with steak is both unconventional and unadvised as their mushy texture and distinct taste are more commonly associated with barbecue and Mexican fare than the finest steakhouse offerings. Nevertheless, we'd be lying if we said we've never sampled a bit of baked beans alongside our chargrilled steak before. Though the combination doesn't taste terribly bad, dishing up this interesting duo to unsuspecting guests may get you that look again ... you know what we're talking about. 

We aren't sure if it's a texture thing or just a general conflict with our taste buds, but something about the duo just doesn't sit right. Still, according to Reddit, there are some out there who apparently see nothing wrong with it. One man states that his wife was shocked at his choice of dinner for the night, which of course, was none other than beans and steak. While most commenters agreed with the original poster's wife that this mashup is definitely strange, for the original poster this dinner selection was totally commonplace growing up. 

Despite the fact that it isn't a great option for steak as a side dish, we do think sampling beans alongside a savory rack of ribs, fried cod, tacos, or even snappy hot dogs is a much better choice. Save your beans for one of these entrees instead!

Most of the pairings we've reviewed thus far probably seem outlandish, and indeed, many of them are. But when it comes to potato chips, things get a bit confusing and divisive.

As we're sure you'll agree, steak and potatoes are typically a match made in heaven. The quintessential mashed potatoes, steak, and salad setup is all too common. And while matching steak with fries starts to feel less formal, we're willing to guess that most of you have tried it, and, dare we say, loved every bit of it.

So, what could possibly be so wrong about pairing steak with chips? After all, they're potatoes too, right? Indeed, they are. Still, we think that because potato chips are deep-fried and typically associated with casual cuisine, it doesn't quite seem appropriate to take something so common and match it up with something as exquisite as a luscious steak entree. The only exception to this would be a steak sandwich or other casual steak fare, in which case a bag of chips would be totally acceptable. As for enjoying a bag of Lay's with your next T-bone?  No, thanks.