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Our food columnist, ‘Just Cooking’s’ Mark Doe, on the traditional favourite – a juicy steak…

Cooking the perfect steak is a lot easier than people make out. 
Okay it does take a little practice to test the degree of cooking by pressing the steak, but the more you cook steak the easier it becomes.

Firstly you need prime steak cuts such as fillet, striploin, rib eye or sirloin.
 Round steak etc… can be tough, especially when cooked well done.

Remove the steaks from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking.

 Resting the steak once cooked is vital to give you a tender steak.

Below is a recipe to cook the perfect fillet steak with garlic butter.

Fillet steak with garlic butter

For the steaks:

• 4 fillet steaks, trimmed, 7-8 oz each
• 2 tablespoons rapeseed or olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the garlic butter
• 50g butter, preferably unsalted
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

1. Firstly cook the steaks. It is best to remove them from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Heat a chargrill pan over a high heat until smoking hot.

2. Once the pan is hot, rub the steaks with a little oil and season on both sides with salt and pepper.

3. Place the steaks on the chargrill pan and sear well for 4 minutes, turn the steaks and sear for 4 minutes on the other side. This will give you a medium rare steak.

For medium cook for 5-6 minutes on each side.

For well done it is best to place the steaks in a hot oven (200C/gas mark 6/ fan 190C) after searing on each side. They can then be cooked for a further 8-9 minutes.

4. Once the steaks are cooked to the desired degree, remove them from the pan and rest on a warm plate whilst you make the garlic butter.

5. Add the butter and garlic and to a pan and place on a low heat. Allow the butter to gently melt. Add the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve the steaks and drizzle over the garlic butter.