The sizzling summer heat calls for backyard grilling season, yes, but you don’t have to cook outside to enjoy a perfect steak.

Whether your preference is a butter-soft fillet steak, flavour-packed sirloin or thriftier cuts like bavette, rump or onglet, quick-cooking and constant attention should be paid when cooking your beef. With only a few minutes’ leeway between rare and well-done, timing is key. Thursday Food, with the help of Butcher Block Master Meat Crafter Gregory Burrowes, shares some tips to help you from start to finish.

Choose your steak

The cut of steak you use is down to personal preference and budget. Different cuts will deliver different levels of tenderness and flavour.

Sirloin: Considered to be a prime steak, like fillet, but has more flavour. Best served medium-rare.

T-bone: To make sure everything cooks evenly, it’s best finished in the oven. Great for sharing.

Bavette: Cheap cut that is best served no more than medium and is great for barbecuing.

Fillet: Prized as the tenderest cut and the most expensive. It has little fat, and is best served as rare as you like.

Rib-eye: There are two cuts to note: Rib-eye, boneless and usually serves one; and rib on the bone, also known as côte de boeuf.

How to sear

Searing a steak until it gets a caramelised brown crust will give it lots of flavour. For this to happen, the pan and the fat need to be hot enough. The conventional way is to sear it on one side, then cook it for the same amount of time on the other side. This gives good results, but the second side is never as nicely caramelised as the first. To build up an even crust on both sides, cook the steak for the total time stated in the recipe, but turn the steak every minute.

How long to cook steak

Blue: Should still be a dark colour, almost purple, and just warm. It will feel spongy with no resistance.

Rare: Dark red in colour with some red juice flowing. It will feel soft and spongy with slight resistance.

Medium-rare: Pink in colour with some juice. It will be a bit soft and spongy and slightly springy.

Medium: Pale pink in the middle with hardly any juice. It will feel firm and springy.

Well-done: Only a trace of pink colour but not dry. It will feel spongy and soft and slightly springy.

It’s very important to consider the size and weight of your steak before calculating the cooking time. If you’re unsure, take advantage of the expert eye of your butcher who should be able to tell you how long you need to cook your meat.

Cooking that perfect steak

Season the steak with salt up to 2 hrs before, then with pepper just before cooking.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan until very hot but not smoking.

Drizzle some oil into the pan and leave for a moment.

Add the steak, a knob of butter, some garlic and robust herbs, if you want.

Sear evenly on each side for our recommended time, turning every minute for the best caramelised crust.

Leave to rest on a board or warm plate for about 5 mins.

Serve the steak whole or carved into slices with the resting juices poured over.

Steak and Eggs with Chimichurri

ingredients

For the Chimichurri:

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup chopped fresh oregano

4 sprigs fresh mint

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of ½ lime

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes

For the Steak and Eggs:

1 (6-ounce) bone-in rib-eye or sirloin steak

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as needed

2 large eggs

Method:

For the chimichurri: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to fully incorporate. Set aside.

For the steak and eggs: Season the steak with salt and pepper.

In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Place the steak on one side of the skillet, leaving room for the eggs. Cook until the steak has a dark brown sear, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. If the pan gets dry, add another tablespoon of butter. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the eggs. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. When the whites start to set, cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

Serve with the Chimichurri Sauce.

Skillet Garlic Butter Herb Steak and Potatoes

Skillet garlic btter herb steak and potatoes is pan-seared and cooked to perfection and topped with a garlic herb butter compound.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound potatoes sliced about 1/2-inch in thickness

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano, chopped

2 lean New York Steak strip steaks

Salt and pepper

Garlic Butter Compound:

1/4 cup softened butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano, chopped

Method:

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and butter, potatoes, garlic, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Cook for about 3 minutes, stir and cook and additional 3 minutes or until fork tender. Remove and set on a plate.

Turn the skillet to high heat. Add the steaks. Cook on each side for 3 minutes or until outside is browned. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook the steaks to desired doneness. Mine took about 10 minutes flipping 3 times to get a medium-well.

Right before the steaks are done, make the garlic butter compound. Mix the butter, garlic and fresh chopped herbs. Slather on top of steaks. Add the potatoes back to the pan and heat through and let the butter melt into the steaks.

Information from: www.delish.com/, therecipecritic.comb& bcgoodfood.com