Cooking the perfect steak

The perfect steak can be the perfect meal. But many home chefs feel overwhelmed when it comes to steak. This can lead to an overcooked, chewy steak or lackluster meal that seems like a waste of a tasty, often expensive cut of meat.

But don’t worry, the Campbells Meat butchers are here to help with tips on preparing the perfect steak and cooking. We even have an easy video guide to make sure you have a delicious steak for dinner.

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How to prepare the perfect steak

Before you start cooking your steak, you need to make sure you prep it. Start by taking the meat out of the fridge at least 30 to 40 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

Pat the steak dry with some kitchen roll before seasoning. For the perfect crust, do this when you remove it from the fridge. As the salt draws moisture to the surface, the steak will start to glisten.

Once at room temperature, the steak is ready to cook.

How to cook the perfect beef steak

There are a few essential things to be sure of when cooking steak. The pan and oil must be hot when the steak goes in; you must not move it around while it caramelises; you must rest it. Of course, you don’t want to overcook it either.

We recommend you use a meat thermometer to make sure you cook the meat.

Steak can be great on the BBQ. Make sure the coals are fully ready, i.e. glowing embers, before you start. They’re also great cooked on a ridged grill pan. But my ultimate steak is always pan-fried.

If you’re thinking of cooking a few steaks for a dinner party, you could cook them earlier, with the core temperature reaching just 30°C, then allow them to cool to room temp. You can then pop them back into a hot oven, at about 225°C for 5-6 mins, so they heat through but don’t overcook.

The optimum temperature for medium rare steak is 40°C in the pan, then once it’s out and resting, the temperature will actually rise to 55°C. This is something people sometimes struggle to understand, which leads to overcooking.

Check out our video guide to the perfect steak with Nick Nairn:

Top tips for cooking the perfect steak

Here are our top tips to the perfect steak:

1. Room temperature is best – take out of the fridge 30 to 40 minutes before cooking
2. Pat your steak dry – this ensures a direct sear
3. Choose the right oil – a high smoke point is best so avocado oil, soy oil or butter can be best
4. Get the pan steaming hot – test with a sprinkle of water
5. Don’t overcrowd your pan – one at a time is best
6. Stop before they reach temperature – let them rest
7. Baste in butter and herbs – for the last couple of minutes to enhance the flavour

For butcher-quality cuts, buy steak online with Campbells Meat today. Free delivery on orders over £40, all prepared by our butchers in our Linlithgow facility.