How not to be burned at the steak

Primitive and simple, it does not require much dressing or fuss. But this succulent, deep red meat is surely one of the finest carnivorous treats ever to land on a dinner plate.

So why don’t I cook it more at home? The problem is, done badly, it’s such a disappointment.

And, because it’s so expensive, I’m usually wary of taking the risk.

This is where chef Stephen Bulmer’s cookery course, How to cook the perfect steak, one of the Swinton Park Cookery School Thursday supper evening sessions, comes in.

Stephen, who has worked in Michelin starred restaurants all over the world, and counts Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White among his former kitchen colleagues, aims to help home cooks master restaurant classics.

I join seven others at the school, near Masham, North Yorkshire. They, like me, are keen to master the key techniques professionals use to guarantee a decent steak, a dish which we also get to sit down and enjoy eating together afterwards.

Some want to pick up tips which will ensure foolproof, no-fuss dinner parties.

There are also few men, here because their wives bought them a place on the course as a gift.

“She says it’s about time I did some cooking,” said one.

Well, steak is certainly a good place to start.

Stephen, the former chef director of Raymond Blanc’s internationally-renowned Cookery School, agrees that cooking it can be a challenge.

“That’s because smaller cuts of meat can dry out easily or cook too quickly, so they become tough or leather.”

He talks us through the various cuts of meat and gives advice on what to look out for. For our purposes, he recommends rump steak.

Slighty cheaper than sirloin, it’s great for griddling or frying and has more flavour, if slightly chewier.

At about £2.20 a steak, it is priced reasonably enough to be more than just an occasional indulgence.

The key to a good steak, says Stephen, is in the hanging.

This develops flavour and tenderises the meat.

Marbling – the little streaks of fat running through the meat, which melt when heated – ensures the steak will baste itself from within while it cooks. And look for a good layer of creamy white fat around the top if you’re buying sirloin, he advises.

Before we start, Stephen stresses his “golden rule”: it is essential to remove your steaks from the fridge and bring them up to room temperature before cooking.

He recommends using a heavy frying pan or griddle as it is easier to control the temperature. We place our butter in the pan over a high heat until it starts to foam, then season our steak and place in the pan, adding crushed garlic and herbs to impart more flavour.

It’s important not to fiddle about with it now.

Cooking times will vary according to type and thickness and how hot your pan is, but it should take no more than a few minutes each side for medium rare.

Once you turn your steak over, being careful not to pierce it lest the precious juices escape, baste it, then slightly undercook the second side as, once you take it off the heat, it will continue to cook for a while longer.

A juicy, moist steak is far too precious to risk ruining by keeping it on the heat for too long. But there’s no need for guesswork. The best way to judge is by the touch test.

You can tell how well your steak is done by the firmness of the meat when you press the thickest part with your finger.

“Rare should be soft and supple, well done is firm, and medium, in between,” says Stephen.

It is vital to rest the steak before serving, which allows the juices to relax back into the meat: “Resting is just as important as cooking, as it allows the meat to become warm, moist and tender all the way through, helping to achieve full flavour. It’s always best to over-rest than underrest,” advises Stephen.

He has a handy tip to ensure that all your steaks, from rare to well-done, are served up at the same time at your dinner party – cook each of them for just under the various times required in advance, then leave to sit.

“Fire them through the oven to finish off at the same time at the end,” he says.

Similarly, our thin chips, cut from Maris Piper potatoes, can be blanched in oil for two or three minutes in advance, stored in the fridge for up to a week, then fired through in the oven, or cooked again in oil, until golden brown.

Stephen dresses the chips in truffle oil and grated parmesan, which is delicious. He also makes seasoning by blitzing dried porcini mushrooms with dried lemon peel.

And as we finish off with a tasty hazelnut parfait dessert I have only one question – what do you serve the vegetarian while everyone else is eating steak?

Stephen suggests a flavoursome roast root vegetable dish with butternut squash puree, which will go perfectly with our delicious side dishes.

Diary Dates

UPCOMING evening dates and menus for Swinton Park supper evenings:
May 1, Classic tapas selection. Creme Catalan
May 22, Real Italian pizza, from scratch. Dark chocolate and almond torte
June 5, Meat cookery (searing, frying and rendering, resting, reductionbased
sauce). Crisp-skinned duck breast, potato fondant, cherries, Five
Spice sauce Lemon tart
June 26, The perfect English summer menu, learning fish skills and sauce skills. Poached salmon with asparagus, Lemon sabayon Raspberry charlotte
Cost £40 per person. Book online at swintonpark.com, e-mail cookeryschool@
swintonpark.com or call 01765-680969.