A satisfying and quick supper best served with béarnaise sauce. It really is worth the extra bother as it tastes so much better than ready-made sauce.
Fillet or sirloin steaks, room temperature, untrimmed
Butter, lard or beef dripping
Salt & pepper
Choose a medium-sized, heavy-based frying pan that isn’t going to stick, and don’t cook more than two steaks at a time.
Heat the pan, then rub a small knob of fat over to grease the surface (don’t substitute with vegetable oil). The pan should be hot but not absolutely smoking – hot enough to sizzle merrily when the meat hits it, and to turn a test morsel of steak nicely brown in about 30 seconds. Turn the hob down, if necessary, to maintain a steady heat.
Lay the steaks in the hot, greased pan and do not move them for at least 30 seconds. Then give the pan a little shake. After about a minute, turn each steak – regardless of how long you are planning to cook it. This will tell you how quickly it’s cooking. It should already be well browned and look appetising. Season the cooked side with a little salt & pepper. After another minute, a very rare steak is ready. Just flip it once more and season the other side then flip it again. This gives the steak a nicely seasoned surface.
For longer cooking times a guide is given below based on sirloin (fillet steaks will take a fraction less time). While cooking, continue flipping the steaks every minute as this will help even cooking:
Rare: 3-4 mins
Medium-rare: 5-6 mins
Medium: 6-8 mins
Well done: about 10 minutes
Transfer each finished steak to a warmed plate at once at let it rest for about 3 minutes before serving. This is equivalent to resting a joint. It doesn’t take long but it does make a difference. Serve with chips and mustard or béarnaise sauce and a salad to follow. It’s also worth deglazing the frying pan with a splash of red wine to make a tasty juice to trickle on the meat, chips and even salad.
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