Delicious home cooked steak

If you eat steak at a restaurant, do you usually opt for an accompaniment of chips/fries, onion rings and mushrooms, or perhaps a jacket potato, salad or vegetables? Although we all know that white meat is a healthier option than red meat, if you are a meat eater and obviously as long as you actually like it, a dinner that consists of a perfectly cooked steak is such a delicious treat isn’t it?

In the past I always used to think that I liked my steak best when it was cooked ‘medium to well done’ although if I’m honest when you go to a restaurant and order steak, unless it’s a regular place you visit and you know exactly how it’s going to arrive on your plate, it’s down to the chef’s perception of what that actually means. My point here though is that it is a bit like “The mystery house” on Escape to the Country – sometimes what we think we like isn’t always what we would prefer, it’s just that we don’t know it yet. An example here is that on one occasion I ordered my steak as my usual ‘medium to well’ and when it arrived at the table, it was served much rarer than I would have preferred. Rather than saying anything to the waiting staff (I hate making a fuss about anything, I find it a bit embarrassing and a bit insulting in some way) so I just ate the steak as it came and surprisingly and happily I really enjoyed it. Consequently now I always ask for my steak to be cooked medium and it is so much nicer. I don’t even mind if it is cooked just under medium. If I’m cooking steak myself at home, I tend to cook it just under medium and it tastes delicious. Take it off the heat just before you think it is cooked perfectly as it will continue cooking slightly as it rests. It’s worth a try! Oh so now, if you are not already, it is your time to reminisce and dream about dinner and nights out at your favourite restaurants, don’t they feel like days out in a different life at the moment with all the shiz going on? Is there a special restaurant food that you are particularly missing or craving in these odd times?

Can I just add, my mind often battles about whether it is ethical to meat and animal welfare is really important me, which perhaps may seem a bit contradictory so I genuinely apologise if it is. I keep thinking about whether I could make the life choice to become a vegetarian and this is something that I might consider in the future. When sourcing meat I always try and ensure that the animal has been responsibly sourced and particularly that they are from farms. Morrisons claim that all of their meat is sourced from British farmers and importantly if you look on their website you can see the farmers that they work with. All of these farmers discuss how their livestock are looked after. I don’t know if you ever have feelings like this but I essentially have to disassociate myself with what I am actually eating sometimes. How do you feel about this?

It’s great news that many pubs and restaurants have diversified and are now offering a take away service or even food delivery at the current time. They are really putting the effort in to try to stay afloat and it’s pretty important to try and support them if you can afford it. At least then, once things get back to normal a little, there will be a business to return to. I completely understand that for many of us our budget doesn’t allow for eating out on a regular basis but I think it’s always nice for a birthday or special occasion to have that treat, and a night off from cooking.

If you are missing steak then I have good news for you! You can buy so many different cuts of steak in either your local farm shop or supermarket, or butchers shop if you are still lucky enough to have one within your local area. My personal preference for steak is either sirloin or rib-eye and if we buy steak to cook at home we generally try to get rib-eye steak from Morrisons (which is usually amazing) or look for whichever cut is on special offer. It’s generally a pretty good price and if you cook it right, I promise you it will taste absolutely delicious! With a little imagination you should be able picture yourself at your favourite place having a special meal. (OK maybe with a lot of imagination.)

Recently we decided we needed a bit of indulgence – let’s face it we all deserve a treat, particularly at the moment! I aimed to try and make to make a simpler and healthier version of this meal by cutting down on the carbs and just having the meat with some fresh stir fry vegetables. It is such a quick and easy meal!

A cut of steak of your choice, seasoned with salt and black pepper.
1 red pepper
Mushrooms
Pak Choi
Mange tout or sugar snap peas
Beansprouts
Soy sauce
Chilli dipping sauce
(Vegetables can be varied according to your likes.)

Pop some butter or oil in your frying pan and heat until it is really hot.
Add the steak and fry for two minutes, turn over and cook for one or two more minutes.
Put the steak on a plate to rest.
Stir fry all the vegetables for a couple of minutes, adding a splash of soy sauce and chilli dipping sauce for flavour.
Add the vegetables to the plate with your juicy steak and enjoy!

Of course there are many other ways you can serve steak, we will often make a tasty sauce to have with it and on occasion we will go all out with steak, chips or dauphinois potatoes, onion rings, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and either a salad, peas or a medley of vegetables. Sometimes it’s nice to keep it simple and just have with a salad and perhaps some fresh herbs for flavour.