The South African staple… we do love our steak don’t we…

However, it still seems a majority of us make very common mistakes when cooking steak, so below are some basics for steaks which will guarantee you success.

I am a firm believer in keeping things plain and simple, and let the meat be the star and the focus of the taste… this is where the quality of your meat shines through. True free range and grass fed beef, in my opinion, are the healthiest and tastiest choice.

The best cuts for frying are Rump, Sirloin (on the bone), Ribeye, T-bone, Fillet (on the bone), Hangar, Prime rib, Flat iron.

Click here to purchase a selection of truly free range and grass fed steak options

My Top 10 Tips for Frying the Perfect Steak

1. Take your meat out of the fridge well before you start cooking
   • This is not negotiable. Your steak must be at room temperature. It ensures even cooking and also avoids a cold centre and a perfect crust.
2. Season the meat before cooking
   • Add your salt and pepper, which is all I ever use, right before adding it to the pan. This will give you a fantastic crust. Do what you can to make sure the seasoning stays on the meat
3. Low-fat meat
   • If are frying low fate meat, like Ostrich, for example, this will go dry very quick and also lack flavour. Consider a pepper crust or other spices to help it
4. Never put meat into a cold frying pan
   • The cardinal sin… all the juicy goodness inside the steak will seep out and boil in its own juice if you put a steak in a cold pan.
5. Use an oil with high heat tolerance
   • Coconut oil, Canola, olive oil – or whatever you prefer as long as it can handle high heat and ensure the oil and pan is smoking hot before adding the steak.
6. Spoon the meat juices and butter over the steaks while frying
   • I love butter… near the end add a piece of butter and spoon over the melted butter and juice mixture… incredible flavour. Butter burns quickly in high heat which is why it is only added near the end.
7. Try not to turn your meat too much
   • You should only ever turn your meat once. Practice makes perfect.
8. Use a Meat thermometer
   • The finger method never worked for me. Besides guests frowning at me for poking their meat I could never be 100% accurate. If you go behind the scenes to Michelin star restaurants, they use a meat probe… so why is it embarrassing for the home chef? Just invest in one, you will never look back.
9. Deglazing the frying pan is a great tip
   • By adding water, stock or alcohol to the pan, and even a herb or two… you can use up all of the delicious crusty bits that remain after the meat has been removed.
10. Rest your meat after frying
    • You need to allow the meat to rest to reabsorb its juices, this will ensure a juicy steak once cut. Just a few minutes, it will be worth the wait