How to Grill/Pan-Fry a Steak

• There are only so many ways of cooking a steak, but if it's a good steak to start with, the simpler the better!

• Take the steak out of fridge, open the vacuum pack to let the fibres expand/breath for at least 10 minutes (like a bottle of wine) and ideally bring it up to room temperature. A good steak doesn't need to be hammered, bashed, sous-vide, brined or even seasoned in advance.

• Get your pan or grill hot - really hot! It should be smoking, so that when you place your steak on the pan or under the grill it is singing! Griddle pans are the best (see photo below).

• Once it's in the pan leave it for the required length of time before flipping it over. Resist the temptation to interfere.

A Rare Steak - approx 2 minutes each side with a core temp of 57C

Medium-Rare - Approx 2.5/3 minutes each side with a core temp of 63C

Medium- Sear on one side, wait for the juices to begin to emerge on the meat, then turn over and cook the other side. Approx 3.5/4 minutes 68C

Well-done- 73C on a meat probe.

When your steak is cooked how you like it.

LET IT REST for 5-10 minutes on a warm surface before eating.  This lets the meat relax and siginificantly improves the eating experience. Season after cooking, this requires less salt and allows for the natural variation of salt levels in the beef.

Remember. Once you've got to rare, the more a steak is cooked, the less blood it will have but the tougher it will become and the less flavour it will have. You're better to pad it dry (ie remove the blood) with some paper towel.

One of Alison's favourite marinades for Feather Steak

Lime and Ginger Wine marinade for feather steak or thick rib

2 tablespoons of Ginger Wine for 4 steaks

Juice of one lime

1 garlic clove, crushed.

1 level teaspoon cumin seed

Pepper freshly ground.

Make the marinade and add the Hardiesmill Feather Steak or Hardiesmill Thick Rib steaks, Marinade in the fridge for at least 1/2 an hour.

Get your pan/BBQ hot, fry your steaks until your own requirements.

Leave to sit for 5 minutes before serving, to allow the steaks to rest.

ENJOY!