How To Cook The Perfect Steak

As my friends know, Bonnett Family Friday Steak Night is a bit of a tradition in my house. Mum and Dad are in charge of the funding and purchasing of the steak while I am the chef for the night. If I may say so myself, I think I have become a bit of a steak master so I thought I would share with you my guide to what I think is the Perfect Steak.

1) BUYING THE STEAK
Personally from the most common four steaks you can buy in the super market I order them like this:

Fillet (The Best)
Ribeye
Sirloin
Rump

However, due to the fact that fillet is ridiculously expensive my parents tend to buy us Ribeye. Look for a piece with some nice ripples of fat throughout.

2) PREPARING THE STEAK
This is the bit most people leave out. They think that plonking the steak in a pan with some fat will taste just as good but believe me preparation is SO IMPORTANT.
Firstly, make sure you cook your steak from room temperature. Cooking straight from the fridge can dry out the outside and take longer for the heat to hit the middle.
Secondly, you need to tenderise the meat with something like a meat mallet. This also evens outs the steak to make it the same thickness all over so that it cooks evenly. Just go a bit crazy on either side of the steak and beat it until you feel satisfied.
Then, put a little pile of olive oil and salt onto the steak and give it a good massage to flavour and tenderise it a bit more. I like to put the oil on the steak instead of in the pan to make sure everywhere is coated and to spread the salt about.

3) COOKING THE STEAK
In my opinion, cooking a piece of steak anything longer than medium rare just destroys it. All you chickens who can't stand blood then please don't waste my beloved steak. Why eat something if you aren't going to eat it properly?
The absolute key to steak cooking is to get the pan (preferably a griddle) as hot as can be. I leave mine to heat up on high heat for nearly 10 minutes. I also only ever allow one steak per pan as I don't want the heat to be shared.
Slap your steak on and don't be tempted to move it around, let it sit so you get the nice cooking lines in it.

If, like me, you like yours rare (or blue) then just cook for 2 mins either side but if you want it pink in the middle then I flip it the minute you see any pinkish juices coming out the top side then just cook on the other side for 2 minutes.
Serve with garlic or sweet potato chips and a salad. Also try with horseradish sauce for something a bit different.

Who knew there was so much to cooking steak!? But trust me, its worth it! Happy Steak Cooking!

Alex x

Guide to being a Fresher...

Following on from Demi's post on finishing uni I thought I'd do a little post on my tips and tricks for having a fab first year at university.

Freshers Week

1) Don't drink too much - Kind of an obvious one. Have fun but no one wants to be found passed out in the hall's lift and found by some random that will laugh about it with all their friends.
2) Don't try too hard - Trying too hard to impress might come across as a bit fake and put people off. So, just be yourself, add a dose of confidence, and you'll be fine!
3) Fresher's Flu is imminent - Having never had a proper hangover before uni I thought this whole 'Fresher's Flu' business was nonsense. Well after 6 nights out in a row you're immune system is at an all time low. I don't think mine ever recovered and spent most of first year with some medical problem or two!

Work
1) Work or Play? - I think its best to balance the two. Keep on top of assignments but skip a few lectures, lay in bed for a day after a solid night out, just don't get too far behind. Cramming for exams after easter is not much fun.
2) Course - Make sure you have a proper look at your actual course content. You can change course once you're there but theres nothing worse than not enjoying what your studying.

Budgeting - Something I majorly struggled with!
1) Nights out - A majority of your budget will end up here but always make sure you've got guest list, share taxis, and find other people to buy you drinks hahaha. I joke.
2) Food - the reduced section is your best friend. Also, look out for the local market to get healthy stuff way cheaper than in supermarkets. I was catered first year which I think made a huge difference. I didn't have the pain of always going to the supermarket to buy food and also dinner was always really social.

I hope this has been helpful and ask any questions if you want!!

Alex x