Choosing Your Steak

  • Scotch fillet (ribeye): Marbled fat, rich flavour, forgiving — best for beginners
  • Sirloin (New York strip): Lean with a fat cap, firm texture, clean flavour
  • Eye fillet (tenderloin): Most tender, mild flavour, low fat — expensive
  • T-bone / porterhouse: Two cuts in one, impressive presentation
  • Rump: Budget-friendly, good flavour, chewier — slice against the grain

How to Grill a Perfect Steak

  1. 1

    Bring to room temperature and pat completely dry

    Take the steak out of the fridge 30–45 minutes before cooking. Pat every surface completely dry with paper towel — moisture is the enemy of a crust. Wet steak steams rather than sears.

  2. 2

    Season generously with salt

    Season all surfaces generously with flaky or coarse salt just before cooking (or at least 45 minutes before — but not 5–30 minutes before, as the drawn-out moisture has no time to reabsorb). Black pepper added now will not burn at high heat for short durations.

  3. 3

    Get the grill or pan screaming hot

    For a BBQ: heat all burners on maximum for 10 minutes with the lid closed. The grates should be too hot to hold your hand near. For a cast iron or heavy steel pan: heat over the highest flame for 3–4 minutes until a drop of water vaporises instantly. Add a high smoke-point oil (grapeseed, rice bran, avocado) just before the steak goes in.

  4. 4

    Place the steak down and do not touch it

    Place the steak away from you to avoid oil splatter. Press it gently to ensure full contact with the surface. Leave it alone — do not move, press or lift for the first 2–3 minutes. The steak will naturally release from the surface when a good crust has formed.

  5. 5

    Flip once and cook the other side

    Flip and cook the second side for the same time. For a thick steak (over 3cm), also sear the edges and fat cap by holding the steak upright with tongs. Cooking times per side for a 2.5cm steak: rare — 2 min, medium-rare — 2.5 min, medium — 3 min, well done — 4 min.

  6. 6

    Use a thermometer for precision

    Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part horizontally. Pull the steak off at these temperatures (it rises 2–3°C while resting): 50°C → rare. 54°C → medium-rare. 60°C → medium. 65°C → medium-well.

  7. 7

    Rest for half the cooking time

    Rest the steak on a warm plate for at least 3–5 minutes (longer for thicker cuts). Resting allows the juices that were driven to the centre by heat to redistribute through the meat. A rested steak loses far less juice when cut. Add a knob of butter and a sprig of thyme during resting for extra flavour.

The butter basting methodFor pan-cooked steak: after flipping, add a generous knob of butter, a crushed garlic clove and fresh thyme or rosemary. Tilt the pan and use a spoon to continuously baste the melted butter over the steak. This accelerates cooking and adds incredible flavour to the crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

The finger test: relax your hand. Touch the fleshy pad at the base of your thumb. Soft and squishy = rare. Touch your thumb to your index finger and feel the same pad = medium-rare. Middle finger = medium. Ring finger = well done. It is imprecise but useful when a thermometer is not available. A thermometer is always more accurate.
Most common causes: cut choice (rump and blade are inherently chewier), not resting (juices redistribute when rested), slicing with the grain rather than against it (always slice perpendicular to the muscle fibres), overcooking, or not patting dry and using high enough heat for a proper sear. Tougher cuts also benefit from marinating in an acid-based marinade for several hours before cooking.