There’s something tremendously indulgent about a steak dinner. For the cost of a really beautiful piece of steak, we could probably eat for a whole week and, nutritionally speaking, it’s not as if we need that much pure protein in a meal. And yet, a well-cooked, properly sourced piece of steak is one of the world’s greatest culinary joys. In terms of flavour, it has everything – sweet, savoury complexity from the caramelisation on the exterior; textural contrast between that outer crust and the juicy meat within and an almost primal delight when you take that first bite. While many of us are moving toward a more vegetable-focused way of eating (something that’s good for both ourselves and the environment), there will always be a place in our hearts for a good steak.
Steaks come in many shapes and sizes. The butter-like tenderness of a fillet steak has always made it the holy grail of steak cookery, but some prefer a sirloin or a rib-eye, both of which have more flavour thanks to the extra fat. When you’re looking for a steak, bear in mind that cost does not always equal quality – there are cheaper steak cuts such as onglet and featherblade that are a fraction of the price of a fillet, but are just as tasty provided they’re cooked properly.