How to cook the perfect steak

Cooking the perfect steak

1. Start with the Sourcing (The Butcher’s Job)

The secret to a perfect steak begins long before it hits the pan. Start by visiting your local butcher—like Revett’s—we have already done the hard work for you. We hand-select beef from trusted local farms and our trusted suppliers in Suffolk including Eye, Stradbroke, and Bungay, ensuring the highest welfare standards. Crucially, we dry-age our cuts of beef allowing natural enzymes to break down the fibers and moisture to evaporate, resulting in a depth of flavor and tenderness that supermarket meat simply cannot match

2. Take the Chill Off

Never cook a steak straight from the fridge. Remove your meat at least 30–60 minutes before you plan to cook it. Bringing the steak to room temperature ensures that the heat from the pan penetrates the center evenly. If the meat is ice-cold, the outside will char and overcook before the middle even begins to warm.

3. Pat it Bone-Dry

Moisture is the enemy of a good sear. Use a paper towel to pat both sides of the steak until they are completely dry. If there is moisture on the surface, the steak will "steam" in the pan rather than "sear," leaving you with grey meat instead of a rich, caramelised crust.

4. Season Generously and Just Before

Beef can handle a lot of seasoning. Use high-quality sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Season the steak right before it goes into the pan; if you salt it too early and leave it to sit, the salt can draw out moisture and dampen the surface you just dried.

5. Use the Right Pan and High Heat

You want a heavy-based pan, ideally cast iron, which retains heat better than thin pans. Get the pan screaming hot—it should be just starting to smoke. Use an oil with a high smoke point (like rapeseed or vegetable oil) rather than olive oil or butter, which will burn and turn bitter at the temperatures required for a proper sear.

6. The "Butter Baste" (The Pro Move)

Once you have seared both sides of the steak and it’s a minute or two away from being done, turn the heat down slightly and add a large knob of butter, a few crushed garlic cloves, and a sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary. As the butter foams, tilt the pan and use a spoon to continuously pour that flavoured butter over the steak. This adds a luxurious, nutty finish and keeps the meat succulent.

7. Know Your Doneness

Don’t guess. While the "thumb test" works for some, a digital meat thermometer is foolproof. Aim for these internal temperatures:

• Rare: 50°C

• Medium-Rare: 54°C (The "sweet spot" for most cuts)

• Medium: 60°C

• Well Done: 70°C+

8. The Golden Rule: Let it Rest

This is perhaps the most important step. When you take the steak out of the pan, the muscle fibers are tight and the juices are under pressure. If you cut it immediately, the juices will run out onto the plate. Let the steak rest on a warm plate for at least 5–10 minutes (roughly half the time it took to cook). The fibers will relax, reabsorbing the juices and making every bite tender.

9. Serve on Warm Plates

You’ve spent time and money on a premium Revett steak; don’t let it go cold on a chilly ceramic plate. Warm your plates in a low oven while the meat rests. This ensures that the first bite is just as hot and delicious as the last.

10. Slice Against the Grain

If you are slicing the steak before serving (common for cuts like Bavette or large Ribeyes), look for the direction the muscle fibers are running. Slice perpendicular to those lines. This "shortens" the fibers, making the meat much easier to chew and giving it a more tender mouthfeel.