Some of our favourite pieces of advice for achieving perfect results for the best cooked steaks, gathered from Britain's best know chefs, Jamie Oliver & Gordon Ramsey.
1. Choose the right cut.
Based on whether you prefer more tender and rarer characteristics, or something fattier and succulent. Choosing between a filet and a ribeye based on your taste and what you desire. Filet is lean and the most tender cut which can be cooked rare. The rib cuts have a higher content of fat, with sirloin balancing in between. You then have the slightly tougher, but flavour-packed parts of the animal, such as Rump and Feather or Flat iron (Jamie Olivers favourite). Look at our butchers block information and Chefs Table for descriptions and information.
2. Bring your meat to the right temperature.
Almost all chefs agree that you should never cook your steak straight from the fridge. Bringing it to room temperature ensures that the meat cooks evenly and you'll be able to achieve the desired cooking level.
3. Season
Use a generous amount of salt and pepper to season the steak, and gently press it into your meat along with your fingers. The thicker the cut of steak, the more salt and pepper you should use. Look to season a 30 mins before cooking.
4. Heat
Gordon Ramsay insists that the temperature of the pan is of importance too. “To cook your steaks, heat a frying pan – to a moderate heat for fillet, hot for t-bone or very hot for rib-eye," he says. Remember, the fattier the cut of beef, the hotter you'll want your pan to make sure the fat renders down and flavours the meat throughout the rest of the cooking process. BBQ's are also brilliant for achieving high heat and fantastic results.
5. Don't Flip
Most chefs are strongly against turning your steak too much. The professionals say you should leave your steak to sear properly before turning it as it will help create a delicious crust and caramelisation from the fat in the pan and the seasoning on the steak.
6. Know how cooked your steak is
There's a simple chef-approved touch test to know how your meat is coming along. Hold your palm out in front of you and touch your thumb and forefinger together. Then, with your other hand's index finger, poke the base of the thumb. The feel is equivalent to medium rare. Now pincer your middle finger and thumb together, equating to medium. Your ring finger and thumb equates to medium-well done while your little finger and thumb will feel like well done. You can also buy a meat probe to check the internal temperatures.
7. Baste
With certain thick cuts, once you have a charred sear, you can afford to turn the heat down, and add in some butter to allow the steak to remain moist and succulent, bathing in a render of juices and butter simultaneously. Also add rosemary and seasoning to add in depth of flavours.
8. Rest Up
Nearly all chefs agree on the crucial need to rest the meat adequately once it’s off the heat, but Marco Pierre-White put it best: "Take it off the heat and don't touch it." While you wait, the meat is relaxing and the juices redistribute, evening out the flavours and colour. Relaxing is also important so that when you cut into the steak, the juices don't run out onto the plate.
9. Carving
If slicing the meat make sure to carve with a nice sharp carving knife and go with the grain. Then serve with the resting juices drizzled on top.
10. Side dish
Jamie Oliver says: “Everyone has their favourite ways to eat steak – either it's with good old chips (fries) and a crisp, green salad, with pepper or horseradish sauces, or even a simple fresh salsa verde to cut right through it.” To switch things up, you can swap a classic salsa verde for pesto or fries for grilled parmesan asparagus. Creamed spinach is another side that goes well with steak.
11. Enjoy one of the tastiest, highest quality steak that is possibly available. Rest assured and with peace of mind that the product has been ethically farmed and concerted efforts made to reduce avoidable environmental impact.
The above cooking details, combined with our range of select premium British produce will ensure an unforgettable steak night and restaurant at home eating experience.