How to cook a North Aston steak

Cook along with our Dairy Foreman Graham to perfect your steak technique.

Remove the steaks from the fridge or freezer and allow them to come to room temperature - they are ready when they no longer feel cold to the touch with the back of your palm. Put a plate in the oven on its lowest setting to keep warm.

Pat the steaks dry with a kitchen towel and season both sides with plenty of salt. Heat a frying pan (cast iron if you have one) on a medium-high heat until it's hot. Add a splash of olive oil and a small knob of butter, and continue heating until it begins to smoke.

If your steak has a thick wedge of fat on its side (usually found on the rump and sirloin), use kitchen tongs (or other implements) to place the steaks on their sides in the pan to sear the fat. Balance in this position for one minute to create tender, brown fat that will render down, improving the overall flavour.

Next, place the meat flat in the pan and sear on each side until a dark crust appears, turning every minute. Cooking times depend on the thickness of your steak. If, like us, you prefer your steaks rare, the general rule of thumb is two minutes on each side. 

The hand test

If you want to achieve a flawlessly cooked steak, there is a hand test you can use. Gently touch your forefinger to your thumb (don’t pinch, just touch), then press the heel of your thumb with a finger from your other hand. Next, prod your steak with the same finger. You’re looking for a similar tenderness in a rare cooked steak. You can also use this test for other cooking times:

• medium-rare: touch your middle finger to your thumb

• medium: touch your ring finger to your thumb

• well-done: touch your little finger to your thumb

Once the steaks reach your desired tenderness, take them off the heat immediately. Season with freshly ground black pepper, and wrap in kitchen foil. Place them in the oven on the warm plate and let them rest for double the total time they spent in the pan. 

Serve with your choice of sides.

>> Explore our range of North Aston steaks