News & Tips

Selecting a frying pan

When frying your steak, use a heavy duty, thick based frying pan with a non-stick coating. These types of pans have the ability to heat at high temperatures, ideal for achieving that slightly sweet, charred finish to the outside of your meat.

Picking your oil

Gordon Ramsay suggests groundnut oil for cooking steaks. Its mild flavour can withstand very high temperatures without burning. He advises not to use butter, until the very end for a creamy finish.

Whether you oil the steak, or add oil directly to the pan, getting an even spread of oil forms the basis of a perfect steak. Do not be tempted to add your steak before the oil is hot enough. Your meat could end up greasy and under browned.

Preparing your meat

For a wider variety of flavours, experiment with different marinades. Try the following flavours to enhance your meat:

Soy, chilli and ginger

Oregano and lemon marinade

Indian korma curry marinade

Olive tapenade, red win and parsley marinade

Before cooking your steak, make sure you bring your meat to room temperature just before cooking. If it cooks straight from the fridge, it will become tough and chewy. Also, drain the marinade before cooking. Excess liquid can boil around the meat and make it tough.

Cooking your steak

Before calculating the cooking time of your steak, consider the size and weight. Never flip your meat more than you have to as this will result in hard and chewy steak. Below outlines the categories of steak and what you should expect.

Blue:                     Should still be a dark colour, almost purple. Should feel spongy with no resistance.

Rare:                     Dark red meat with some juice flowing. Should feel soft and spongy with slight resistance.

Medium-Rare:         Pink in colour. Should be a little soft and spongy, slightly springy.

Medium:                 Pale pink in the middle with almost no juice. Should feel firm and springy.

Well-done:              Only a trace of pink colour. Not completely dry. Will feel spongy and soft and slightly springy.

Dressing your steak

Never season your steak too early. Salt will draw the moisture out of your meat. For best results, season before you fry your meat or moments before serving.

If salt is not your thing, try enhancing the flavour of your meats through marinating. Balsamic vinegar, honey and mustard will reduce down to a sweet glaze while cooking. If you’re feeling adventurous experiment with other marinades such as miso or teriyaki.