Rule no.1 always make sure your steak is at room temperature before cooking.
Oil the steak, this ensures you get even coverage on the steak. If possible use vegetable oil with a high smoking point such as sunflower oil. If you're like us and love the richness of butter, do so after you've flipped the steak; basting it in the hot butter as it cooks. If you want an extra flavour dimension add some herbs like rosemary or thyme and garlic when you add the butter!
Season your steak well with salt and freshly ground pepper (don't use pepper powder as it's likely to burn and taste acrid). Use a heavy-based pan or griddle, ideally made from cast iron which retains its heat well.
Add your steak to a HOT pan and turn it every minute for a more even cooking. For a 2-2.5cm thick steak use the following time as a guide (turning the steak every minute!)
- Rare - 3 mins total
- Medium Rare - 4 mins total
- Medium Well - 5-6 mins total
- Well Done - 8 mins total
The most important thing to remember is you must put your steak into a very hot pan to sear it, locking in the juices and giving an amazing crust.
The best way to tell how your steak is cooked is by learning how to feel it, this can be done by gently pressing the pad below your thumb and comparing it with the meat. With an open hand, your pad will feel soft like a blue steak, if you bring your thumb over to touch the underside of your little finger, it will feel harder like a well-done steak, in between is medium and so on you get the idea.
Once cooked let it rest for the same amount of time you cooked it for, this allows the muscle fibres to relax and reabsorb their own juices, I know this is hard and your mouth will be salivating but just do it, you'll thank us after! Enjoy!
