Without a doubt, many East Coasters have always wanted to try In-N-Out after hearing all the hype from friends and celebrities. Growing up in California, I always took it for granted and just saw it as another fast food place I’d go to once in a while. Having been away from home for a while now, I am starting to miss the restaurant, and not necessarily for their burgers, which I always thought were just ‘pretty good.’
My favorite item at In-N-Out isn’t even on their menu. It’s actually on their secret menu – the Animal Fries. The Animal Fries are essentially fries topped with melted American cheese, grilled onions and In-N-Out’s signature spread. Not only are these fries ridiculously good, but you feel like you just ordered something that only a privileged few actually know exists. These fries are out of this world. For this reason, I will share with you my attempt to replicate this infamous menu item.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Total time: 30-35 minutes
Ingredients:
Russet potatoes
American cheese
Sweet onions
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Sweet relish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. You’re more than welcome to deep-fry the potatoes, but I figured that most don’t own a deep fryer, and baking is a healthier alternative.
2. Slice potatoes into thin French fry-sized strips (you can slice them as thin or as thick as you would like).
3. Dice onions.
Photo by Jay Soto
4. Place potatoes in a greased baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are golden brown.
Photo by Jay Soto
5. While potatoes are cooking, sauté onions over low-medium heat until slightly caramelized.
6. Mix ketchup, mayonnaise and relish to create a spread with a similar texture to Thousand Island dressing. I use 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise mixed with 1 tablespoon of ketchup and ½ a tablespoon of relish, but as with all recipes, adjust to taste.
7. When fries are cooked, put American cheese on top of fries and microwave for about 20-30 seconds or until cheese is melted.
Photo by Jay Soto
8. Sprinkle sautéed onions on top of melted cheese and fries.
Photo by Jay Soto
9. Put spread on top of fries. Dig in.
Photo by Jay Soto
If you don’t have the kitchen, ingredients or patience for this recipe, you’re not doomed. You can actually make these fries right at your dining hall. Simply mix together ketchup, mayonnaise and relish, and load it on top of some fries, along with with sautéed onions and American cheese from the grill.
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