Choosing a steak for the meal you have in mind

Tell us what you fancy for supper. We’ll start there — the cut names can come afterwards.

First, what sort of evening are we having?

A steak for a quiet Friday supper and a steak for the brother-in-law who takes barbecuing very seriously are not necessarily the same purchase. Before worrying about cut names, picture the meal. Two plates and a pan? A board in the middle of the table? Something lovely after a rather long week?

There is no need to arrive with a butcher’s vocabulary. “I fancy a good steak, I’m cooking it in a frying pan, and there are two of us” is a splendid place to start. Add your budget and we have something useful to work with.

Choose what you like eating

Some people love a richly marbled steak and take their time over every mouthful. Others prefer a leaner piece of beef. Neither needs to persuade the other over dinner. Think about the fat you enjoy, the tenderness you want and whether you fancy a whole steak or slices to share.

Ask about the particular steaks available: their thickness, preparation and the cooking method that suits them. The “best” steak is the one you enjoy eating and feel comfortable cooking. A famous cut name cannot rescue an evening spent worrying at the hob while your chips go cold.

Have a proper look at the pack

Check the number of steaks, their individual weights and the total pack weight, as well as whether they arrive chilled or frozen. Compare price per steak alongside weight. It is surprisingly easy to compare two prices and forget that one pack is planning a rather bigger dinner.

Leave room in the budget for the bits that make it your supper: crisp chips, a green salad, mushrooms catching the pan juices, perhaps a sauce. You do not need all of them. The steak has already agreed to be the main event.

A larger pack can be useful if you know where the extra portions are going. Have that little conversation with the freezer before checkout. It tends to be less accommodating once you are standing there holding eight steaks.

Give it a bit of space in the pan

Check your pan before choosing the portions. The steaks need room; if they are crowded, cook in batches or choose a size that fits comfortably. Get the sides underway first and have plates ready. It is a much happier arrangement than searing the beef while remembering that potatoes take longer than enthusiasm.

Follow cooking instructions suited to the cut and thickness. Whole, intact beef steaks can be served pink if their outside surfaces are properly seared. Burgers, rolled joints and meat pierced throughout require thorough cooking. Follow the label’s specific instructions and ask if the preparation is unclear.

Leave yourself another good supper

If you are buying more than tonight needs, sort the remaining portions when the pack arrives. Follow its storage and freezing instructions. Where freezing is suitable, wrap portions separately and label them clearly. Future you will appreciate finding supper without having to defrost the entire weekend.

Defrost in the fridge in a container that catches drips, and use within 24 hours of full defrosting. Allow enough time for the centre to thaw.

Then keep the meal simple. A steak you have chosen thoughtfully, cooked with attention and served with something you love is a very good dinner. You do not need a restaurant’s worth of garnish — and you get to choose the music.

Food safety guidance
Food Standards Agency: Cooking your food
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cooking-your-food/cooking-your-food

Food Standards Agency: How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-chill-freeze-and-defrost-food-safely/how-to-chill-freeze-and-defrost-food-safely

For illustration purposes only.