To me, the best way to cook steak is over a high heat in a very hot frying pan.


Ingredients
- 4 X 280g rib eye steaks
- Oil, salt and pepper
- for the Chips
- 1kg of potatoes King Edward, Maris Piper, Red Rooster, Wilja, Marfona.
- groundnut oil safflower or sunflower oil
- salt & vinegar
- for the Roast Garlic Mayo
- 2 heads fresh garlic
- 225g good quality mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp chopped roughly fresh parsley
- cracked black pepper
Method
Steak- Start by oiling the steak and then season the meat well with salt and pepper just before cooking.
- Heat your frying pan to a high heat and cook on both sides. For a 10oz Steak to achieve a rare finish cook for 3-4 minutes on either side.
- Once cooked to your desired finish, leave to rest, off the heat and loosely covered with foil, for as long as you have cooked them, in a warm place. Bear in mind that the steak will continue to cook for a little time once off the heat, so adjust your cooking time for a rare or medium steak.
- Serve with the chips and mayo.
- Peel and wash the potatoes well, then cut into fingers about 1.5cm wide. Re-wash and dry well in kitchen paper or towel
- Fill a deep pan or deep fat fryer one third full with oil and heat to 190 C leave for 10 minutes then reduce to 175C. Never fill a fryer more than one third full.
- Plunge small amounts of chips into the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften, but with no colour
- Shake off the excess oil and cool on a tray, not piled up.
- Repeat until all are done. You can chill at this point.
- When ready to serve turn up the oil to 185-90C. Cook in small batches until crisp and golden, drain well and season well with salt if you like.
Roast Garlic Mayo
- Cut the two heads of garlic in half horizontally and place on scrunched foil and bake in a pre-heated oven 200C gas 6 for 35-40 minutes.
- Once cooked remove from the oven and cool.
- Mix the cooled garlic, squeezed from the bulb into the mayonnaise and mix with the chopped parsley and cracked black pepper.
- Serve.
Phil's Tips
- To me the best way to cook steak is over a high heat such as a bar b q or very hot frying pan. They reduce the heat and cook until you have the desired outcome.
- If steak is in a vac pac bag, remove and dry well in a kitchen towel - this will stop the steak boiling in its own juices rather than searing well, especially if the pan or bar b q are not that hot. I dust with a little cornflour or arrowroot to seal the steak after seasoning.
- Season the meat well with salt and pepper just before cooking.
- If cooking on a bar b q, get the bars very hot, then oil the steak (before seasoning) and then oil bar b q bars, this will make sure the steak does not stick.
- Sear over a high heat on both sides and cook to the desired degree.
- Always rest the steaks, off the heat and loosely covered with foil, for as long as you have cooked them, in a warm place. Bear in mind that the steak will continue to cook for a little time once off the heat, so adjust your cooking time for a rare or medium steak.