I hardly ever choose steak in a restaurant because I can cook it better and cheaper than any restaurant I have ever eaten in. The exception being black pepper steak in Hong Kong.

There are several ways to cook steak and several cuts. The secret is the meat  – quality and quantity, the intensity of the heat and resting.

Grill:

My favourite is the Cote de Boeuf with the rib eye attached to the bone. Get a whole rib (like a chop). It will weight in at about a kilo. If possible get grass eating cow from the Scotland. My favourite is Orkney Gold from Vickers (Reading). It works out at £15 per chop. Next, rub Jamican dry jerk on the meat and leave for a hour. Grill the steak over white hot charcoal – use plenty of charcoal as this is a crucial step. Grill the steak for 5 minutes each side – it will go black!

Next, rest the steak in a pre- heated oven. Low (>100 degrees C) for 15 minutes if you want your steak rare. For medium steak (175 degrees C ) for 15 minutes then leave in a warm place for 10 minutes. For well done steak (works with ribs as its fatty), leave in the over at 175 for 30 minutes, then 10 minutes of rest in a warm place. Serve – good for 1 to 3 persons depending on appetite.

Serve with “Triple Cooked ” chips. Boil thickly cut chips – you should get 9 chips per potato ( baking potato size). Use a good chip potato such as maris piper. Boil for 10 minutes, drain and leave in a colander for an hour plus. Next, deep fry at 130 degrees C  untill the potato turn slightly golden brown – approx 10 minutes. Let the chips  cool. Deep fry the chips at 190 degrees C  just before serving to a deep golden brown colour – approx 5 minutes. The right temperature is key!

Pan Fried and flambe steak.

I would use sirloin, fillet and skirt here. Again, you need a big piece. Anything less than 300g will not cook properly. It is better to cook a bigger piece 500g and serve it cut up to 2 people. With skirt, give it a good basking with a mallet first. I don’t like rump for grilling.

Fry the steak in oil or butter – it must be bubbling. Or use a cast iron grill pan with a light spray of oil. Heat for 3 minutes each side to get a rare steak, longer for medium. Poke the steak – if it gives slightly, it is medium. As it approach well done, the meat will firm out. Try experimenting and you will soon get the “knowledge” which you can use forever!

Take the steak out and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. You can serve it with a sauce

To make the sauce

Pour a shot of brandy into the pan (needs to be hot) that you cooked the steak in and ignite it. When the flame dies down:

Red wine sauce – add a glass of red and half a glass of brown stock (another article) or use a stock cube. Let the whole thing bubble until it is reduced and thicken up – taste and season – and pour over steak and serve. I  use about a qtr teaspoon of salt for seasoning.

Black pepper sauce – throw into the hot pan half a glass of crushed black peppercorns (not grind because you need the texture). Add a dribble of oil if its too dry. Cook this for a minute. Now add a glass of brown stock and let it bubble. Reduce to half original volume. Add qtr teaspoon of salt to the sauce, stirr and toss the steak back into the pan to coat it with the sauce. Serve.

Eddie

Dec 2009