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Cook The Perfect... Steak with Tim Anderson

Masterchef 2011 champion Tim Anderson showed Jenni how to cook the perfect steak - simply and stress-free!

Listen to the interview

Sirloin Steak

Tim likes beef fat - fatty cuts like Ribeye, Porterhouse and Sirloin. Sirloin is a crowd-pleaser because it has a good amount of fat, but not too much - most is located along one side, so you can eat around it quite easily.

Tim's Tips

If the steak is at room temperature it's going to cook in a certain amount of time, but if it's come straight out of the fridge it will take a little bit longer and cook a little less easily. If you're trying to get the perfect steak it's probably best to have it closer to room temperature.

Recipe

Ingredients

Sirloin steak, about an inch thick
Black pepper
Sea salt (smoked sea salt adds a smoky flavour)
Rapeseed oil to add to the steak (Tim doesn't add oil or butter to the pan)

Method

Season the steak well with sea salt and pepper. Rub the steak with oil before you cook it, so it doesn't burn.

Heat your pan very hot - about 350 degrees Celsius - if you hold your hand an inch above the pan it should be uncomfortable.

To cook

Sirloin has a band of fat that cooks more slowly than the meat, so to break that down Tim cooks the fat on its side first.

Tim's cooking times are by centimetres to be more precise. He recommends one minute each side, plus another minute per centimetre. He flips the steak every minute. It should be nicely browned on the outside.

As a guide: for medium rare do three minutes on each side, rare two and a half. A minute steak is very thin, so you can cook it a minute on each side.

You need to use your senses and intuition to judge how well your steak is cooked. Cooking time depends on how well the meat is marbled, if there's a bone, how well it's aged - all these affect how quickly a steak cooks.

Touch the steak to find out if it's done. It should have spring, but not be limp. If it's firm it's overdone.

Always rest your steak for half the cooking time in a warm place like a low oven or next to the hob. The muscles of the meat relax and it reabsorbs moisture. A steak shouldn't be piping hot and if it is then it's going to bleed.

To serve

Serve with mashed potatoes - Tim likes mash - which absorbs the juices and fat from the steak. Serve with greens like asparagus or beans. To accompany Tim recommends a full bodied, spiced red wine or a good stout.

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