The perfect steak

• Allowing the steak to come to room temperature before frying will allow it to cook more evenly. Putting a cold steak into a hot pan means a big temperature difference – which could mean a burnt outside with a raw middle. So don’t forget!
• Oiling the steak rather than the pan means that there’s just a fine layer coating the meat, ensuring the surface area is closer to direct heat. This allows a better crust to develop.
• Salting well before cooking does two things: firstly, it draws moisture from the surface of the steak, allowing salt to enter and season it; secondly, the salt affects the protein structure, which softens and tenderises the meat.
• Always use a heavy-bottomed, flat frying pan – it ensures maximum contact between the pan and the steak (you won’t get that with a griddle pan)
• Buy a large steak that you can slice and share. A thick steak means more caramelisation and tender meat, as it cooks in the pan for longer.
• Resting the steak is key – it lets the internal juices redistribute after the extreme heat of the pan, making for a juicier steak.

Accompany your perfect steak with one of our steak sauce recipes, including peppercorn sauce, chimichurri sauce, blue cheese sauce and romesco sauce.

The perfect steak recipe