How to cook the perfect steak

If you’re cooking to impress and only a tender, juicy steak will cut it, don’t be fooled into spending a fortune.

Beyond the much-loved fillet, sirloin, rib-eye and rump, there’s a world of underrated, good-value steaks that will seriously deliver on the flavour front.

Flank skirt, thick skirt and thin skirt are all delicious and definitely worth a try, but here we’re focussing on Jamie’s favourite – feather steak (also known as flat iron steak). Full of beautiful flavour, texture and fat marbling, feather steak is a good size to leave you satisfied. Ask your butcher to remove the tough sinew right in the middle of it, and you’ll be ready to go.

But first, there are a few guidelines to bear in mind if you want to cook the perfect steak, whichever cut you choose.

Before you start, get the steak out of the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature about one hour before cooking – frying or grilling it from cold will stop the heat from penetrating to the middle as efficiently. You also need to make sure your pan, griddle or barbecue is super hot before you begin – this will help to caramelise the meat, essential for a delicious crust.

During cooking, aim to cook your steak medium-rare to medium – any more and you’ll be left with a tough piece of meat. Turning it every minute or so will make sure you get a really even cook.

After cooking, leave it to rest and rub with a little extra virgin olive oil or butter for an incredible, juicy steak.

Remember these tips, and you’ll get great results every time. To make it even easier, follow these simple steps below.

Looking for the tastiest way to serve your steak? Check out our round-up of Jamie's best steak recipes that you're going to love.

HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT STEAK

Rub the steak all over with a good lug of olive oil and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Add the steak to a hot pan, then cook for 6 minutes for medium-rare, or to your liking, turning every minute

For more flavour, try one or a combination of the following…

Halve a garlic clove and rub it over the steak every time you turn it

Rub the steak with a knob of butter – the sweetness from the butter will make it taste divine!

Or create a herb brush by tying woody herbs like thyme or rosemary to the handle of a wooden spoon and brush it over the steak every minute or so

Once cooked to your liking, rest the steak on a plate that can collect all the lovely juices for 2 minutes

Carve with a nice sharp carving knife, then serve with the resting juices drizzled on top

Everyone has their favourite ways to eat steak – with good old chips and a crisp, green salad, with pepper or horseradish sauces, or even a simple fresh salsa verde to cut right through it. Whatever you choose, we’re sure your lucky guest will love you for it.

If our step-by-step guide isn't enough, let Jamie show you how it's done:

Dairy cows and beef cows are farmed differently. Usually, beef cows are raised for meat until they’re one or two years old. Meanwhile, dairy cows will be farmed for much longer while they continue to provide enough milk. However, once a dairy cow stops milking the meat is rarely eaten.