Mumsnet Talk

Has anyone got a fabulous, 'can't go wrong' way of cooking steaks? Whenever I try, I am disappointed with the results, I've tried frying and grilling, high heat and lower heat.
Just been to the butchers and bought some for tonight and I am determined that they will be gorgeous. So, any top tips?

Take meat out of the fridge about 20 mins before you cook it so that it comes up to room temperature. It's less likely to 'shrink' from the shock of very cold fridge to hot pan

Have the pan very hot/smoking to seal the outside

Add a knob of butter near the end to glaze the steak

Let it resy for about 5 minutes before you serve it

This is what I do:

Get the pan really hot. Add whatever oil you're using.

Season the steaks with black pepper.

When oil is really hot, put the steak in and then leave it for 2 minutes. Then turn it over and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. (I'm assuming your steak is about 1/2-3/4 inch thick and that you like it rare).

Take it off the heat and then season with salt. Leave it to rest for a couple of minutes before you serve it.

Another method which I occasionally use is to marinade the steak in olive oil, black pepper and lemon juice for about an hour before I cook it.

HTH.

rest not resy

resy is always a good technique, though, Iklboo!

Rump is a horrible cut of meat.

You need a nice rib of beef! Or some fillet!

But not easy to do for the untrained

Best to cook beef on a ridged cast iron pan with no fat and don't season at all until it is sealed on both sides.

Rump might be the only cut the OP can afford Bonsoir

She's asking why her meat isn't as good as in restaurants... if she can afford to eat decent meat in restaurants, surely she can afford to eat decent meat at home?

The quality of your steak is important. Rump can be a bit tough sometimes.

Fillet is better.

Thanks for the tips. Maybe I'm not getting the pan hot enough to start with???
Well, I feel full of hope now!

Ooops some x-posts there. Have tried all different cuts of steak. Just bought rump today because the local butcher said that the rump he had in today was lovely, so I took his advice. His stuff is usually really good quality.

Rump can be nice. Obviously fillet is the top quality but you don't get as much steak for your money (DH is a fan of the Fred Flintstone size steaks )
You could just breathe heavily over a nice piece of fillet and it would be lovely

Sirloin is tasty as well, and less expensive than fillet. (Although I have to confess that fillet is my personal favourite)

Fillet is nice I guess but rump has the better flavour imo. Just like chicken thigh is way tastier than breast, despite being much cheaper.
I digress.
I put some olive oil and rather a lot of salt and pepper on a plate and dip the steaks (which have been left out of the fridge) into that, then fry in a super hot pan. I don't add oil to the pan (they've already been dipped in some, see), but I do add a knob of butter (which adds to the juices and also caramelises so helps appearance- and flavour- wise). Don't jiggle the steaks about when they're cooking - they need to "catch", iyswim. Press them down a bit with a spatuala a couple of times to help with this, too.
I allow them to rest, in the pan but off the heat, for a good 5-10 minutes, and chuck a load of parsley over them before serving.
It's tricky though to cook steaks as nicely at home, simply because you just cannot get the heat. Homecooked is lovely, but different imo.

Aaaah, am drooling for steak, posh chips, watercress and v cold white wine for dinner now... Wonder if I can squeeze trip to butchers in between finishing my marking and the school run <eeek>

I'm a big fan of ribeye myself. Don't put salt on until after its cooked and don't mess about with it in the pan.

Rump actually has a lot of flavour, and when cooked well, can be jut=st as tasty as more expensive cuts.

Rump can be tough. Do you tenderise it first?

Hulababy - yes to the tenderising. I think it must be just that I don't get the pan hot enough to start with, so will try tonight with a super-hot pan and hope for the best. If it still doesn't work, I have a lovely sauce to disguise it with
Thank you everyone who replied.

Ribeye here too, bibbity - lots of lovely fat so it's really tender!

Hottest possible pan, 2 mins or so each side, lovely

Aha! Caught the butcher. Have two lovely pieces of sirloin for after kids have gone to bed.

I'm a bit of an 'overcooked grey lump' expert.

So, better to use something other than olive oil (which has a lower burning point than other oils I think?) Groundnut oil?

I like my steak medium rather than rare (just pink I mean). How long? And what is that thumb test or summat? And why salt after sealing?

I like my steak walked through a warm kitchen but otherwise raw.

<drool>

Salt causes the juices to leach out Will.

Whatever you do, don't use extra virgin olive oil for cooking.

Yes, the kind of oils you use in a stirfry are better if you want to get the pan very hot.

But, sadly, can't help you with the timings. It all depends on how thick the steak is. You could press it down hard in the pan and if blood is still coming out cook a little longer?

Wilfsell hope you enjoy yours tonight!