National Steak Week

I received this press release today about National Steak Week and thought it might interest some of you, after all everyone loves a great steak don’t they? There’s a couple of great recipes which i will post tomorrow, there’s a particularly nice sounding chilli desert.

TV chef Simon Rimmer’s top tips during National Steak Week

It’s one of the most popular foods in the world, but while many of us love nothing
more than a juicy steak, it can be tough knowing how to do justice to our delicious
sirloin or fillet.

National Steak Week runs from 18-24th October and now TV chef Simon Rimmer is
encouraging everyone to get tasting steak!

But whether it’s rare, medium rare, medium or well done, judging how to cook a piece
of steak perfectly can be quite tricky to achieve. It is often too easy to become
concerned that the meat is not rare and this can lead to an overcooked steak.

And whilst we may feel out of our depth at home, knowing whether to choose fillet,
rib eye or rump in a restaurant can also leave us floundering. Throw in the huge
array of sauces now available and the perfect combination can be easily missed.

So which cut is best? How long do you cook it and how hot should the pan be?

If you feel yourself wondering where to start then our top tips from chef Simon
Rimmer should help and if it all sounds like too much hard work, Simon’s Steak
Lover’s Menu will be available at Beefeater Grill throughout National Steak Week –
so the experts can do the cooking for you.

“Steak is a British favourite and it can be enjoyed in so many different ways”, says
Simon.” I’ve teamed up with Beefeater Grill for National Steak Week to educate the
nation about steak and show everyone out there the best ways to enjoy it.”

Simon’s top tips for the perfect steak

When choosing in a restaurant, here is my key to the cuts:
· Fillet – most tender and easiest to eat
· Ribeye – tends to have more fat running through its centre but will have
more flavour as a result
· Rump – has the highest fat content but has a nice chewy texture and the
fat adds extra flavour
· Sirloin – is the second easiest to eat with less fat running through and
slightly cheaper price point than the fillet

When cooking at home:

* Let your steak come up to room temperature before you begin cooking
* Pat the steak dry with kitchen roll to make it as dry as possible before cooking
* Rub oil onto the steak instead of putting oil into the pan. This will ensure
that you have better and more even cooking
* Season the steak after rubbing oil onto its surface so as not to draw extra
moisture out of the meat
* Before you begin cooking the steak, make sure your pan/griddle is very hot
* When you put your steak into the pan, don’t be tempted to move it around. Let
it sit so that it can seal and retain all of its flavour
* If cooking rump or sirloin, don’t be tempted to cut off the fat before cooking.
Keeping it on helps to retain its shape and flavour
* Finally, to add a twist to your steak, why not make pineapple chutney… All
you need is red onion, chilli, coriander, vinegar and sugar and boil it down to
form the chutney – easy!