i have two peices of rump stake what to do with them?

[mothersmilk]

iv just taken them out of the freezer for dh and i tonight and in all honesty iv never been very good at cooking steak any ideas on what to do with them?

It depends on how you like your steak!

I know steak can seem scary to cook, but heat is crucial.

For any pan fried steak, brush the steak with oil (not olive, as it burns at high temperatures) , heat the pan until really hot, then pop the steaks in, three mins each side, then turn the heat down a bit and cook for another couple of mins each side again. or longer, if you like well done.

Nigella has a good recipe, which follows on from the above, and is dead easy. While steak is cooking, put 5 thyme stalks , acouple of peeled, bashed garlic cloves, zest and juice of half a lemon and 80mls of olive oil in a shallow dish. When the steak is cooked, stick it in the marinade for four mins each side, then slice and serve with veg.

My exp used to do a sauce for steak which is a guilty secret pleasure, involving mayonnaise, tomato sauce and brandy. Sicky but very morish.

I always keep steak simple and fry it on griddle pan (although frying pan fine too). Agree - get it as hot as poss before putting steak on. I use a bit of olive oil and plenty of maldon sea salt and ground black pepper. It is a matter of taste, but Salome's timings would have the steak far too well done for me. Depending on thickness, I would probably do 1-2 mins on one side, then 1 min on the other. It might take less if v thin, or a bit more if more than 2 cm thick.

I would then put some herb butter on top - or perhaps just a bit of garlic butter.

Serve with pots (new or dauphinoise if you have the time!) and salad with French dressing! Yummy.

Good point re cooking times. I have image in my head of plump steaks, would be far overdone if they are thinner.

WOuld agree with the above except for the use of oil.

My xDh (who was a chef) taught me to heat a non-stick pan till it was smoking hot, then bung the steaks in. Don't try to move them immediately- they'll stick. After a minute or two, turn them over. Then turn the heat down and cook as per the timings given above.

Obviously I had to post as well cos of my name

Oh and suggest DON'T serve them in soggy baps.

Nice perky toasted ciabbata baps perhaps? not many of those round here, sadly.