Sunday is, of course, Fathers Day and we are celebrating the great job that all of us dads do out there!
So today we are going to cook some delicious steak for dad’s lunch or dinner! but first, let me run through a couple of handy tips.
Cooking steak
Choosing the right cut, so if you are a beginner I would always look at the following 3 cuts for the BBQ. The more experience you gain, you can introduce other cuts like skirt steak and paddle steak.
- Scotch. Fat on the inside so it keeps the meat moist when you cook it, this is the best cut to cook on the BBQ in my opinion
- Sirloin. Fat on the outside so you have to be careful as to not overdo it
- Rump. The tougher of the 3 cuts but has maximum flavour. So a good one to cook medium to rare but never well done!
Preparing the meat and seasoning is key.
- Buy your meat from a trusted butcher or on-line meat supplier
- Always try and bring your meat up to room temperature
- Always preheat heat your BBQ or cast iron frypan to hot
- Always season with flaky salt and cracked pepper just before you want to cook
Cooking of the meat
- Resist the urge to turn the meat until a good amount of colour has been formed
- Colour is flavour
- Always keep your BBQ on high
- Never overload the BBQ as you will take the heat out and it will steam
- If you can cook over fire or charcoal. DO! the flavour is so much better
- You are better to undercook your meat, you can always bang it back on the BBQ
- Meat should never be served straight off the BBQ or grill
- Rest your meat for a good 5-10 minutes before serving, just loosely lay some tinfoil over the top and place in a warm place
- If you are going to slice the meat before serving, do it as close to serving as possible and season with a touch more flaky salt.
Simple marinades work well
- Soak in dark soya sauce for 10 minutes before cooking
- Crushed garlic, oil, salt and pepper
- Paint with Dijon mustard during cooking
- Meat rubs for a little extra punch, but be careful as you don’t want to drown the flavour of your meat. Always check for flavour enhancers like MSG
- Different types of salt can change the taste, like smashing some rosemary with flaky salt or using a smoked salt to sprinkle on afterwards
- Use a compound or flavoured butter to enhance the flavour and moistness of the meat
- I’ve included a recipe for my favourite and the most classic Cafe de Paris Butter
Happy Fathers Day!
Cafe de Paris Butter
- 250 gm unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp capers, chopped
- 1/2 cup onions, finely diced
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp thyme leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 1 tbsp brandy
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- crack of pepper
- 1 lemon, juiced
Cut the butter into small dice and place into a mixing bowl. Using a paddle attachment slowly beat the butter until smooth.
Gradually add the rest of the ingredients starting from the top to the bottom.
Laying out a 30 cm piece of greaseproof paper, spoon the butter mixture across the paper about a third of the way up. Gently roll the paper over to form a cylinder. Then wrap again in clingfilm to help roll tight.
Store in refrigerator till hard
Cut into small disc’s, removing the clingfilm and paper before serving.