With celebrity chefs and cooking shows currently dominating our TV screens, we thought we’d put together some of our favourite steak cooking methods shared by these experts.

My personal favourite is Gordon Ramsay, and with 16 Michelin stars to his name this highly acclaimed British chef certainly knows how to cook a steak. On his YouTube channel, he shares that he considers fillet to be the Rolls Royce of steaks. He starts by seasoning it with salt and very coarsely ground black pepper. He then heats up some olive oil in a hot pan and gently places the steak in the pan to sear it on all sides. In the same pan, he roasts 2 garlic halves together with some thyme. When done, he places the fillet on top of the garlic and thyme and adds some butter to the pan. Using a spoon, he pours some of the melted butter over the steak before placing the whole pan in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Finally, he removes the steak from the pan, drizzle some more of the melted butter over it and let it rest for a few minutes at room temperature.

Local celebrity chef Zola Nene believes that for a truly South African braai, a bone-in steak is a must. She’s not intimidated by a 1 kg portion of club steak and shared her recipe on the Checkers Winter Masterclass Series. A club steak has a beautiful fat cap and is richly marbled. She seasons the steak with salt and pepper only, no strong flavours, so that the meat’s own flavour can be experienced. Unlike most chefs, she starts by searing the steaks in a cold pan, fat side down. As the pan heats up the fat on the meat renders and can be saved for making crispy potatoes. Once the fat has gained a caramel colour, she places the steak on the muscle side for 2 minutes per side. She adds a generous amount of butter, six sprigs of thyme and a couple of smashed garlic cloves to the pan, basting the steak with the flavoured butter sauce until the butter turns golden brown. Then the whole pan is placed in a preheated oven to roast for 10-15 minutes on 200⁰C. When the steak is removed from the pan, it is covered with foil and left to rest for 10 minutes. Resting ensures that the juices remain inside the steak.

Bertus Basson, owner and head chef at Overture Restaurant in Stellenbosch, loves a good piece of rump steak that be rubs with his own blend of spices and pairs with a traditional South African braaibroodjie. To make his steak rub, add some coarse salt, sugar, whole coriander, black pepper and cumin seeds to your pestle and mortar. Once nicely crushed together, add a bay leave, some fresh thyme, peeled garlic cloves, a green jalapeño and paprika. Crush together and then generously cover your steak with the rub, allowing it to marinade in the rub for 30 minutes. Braai over super-hot coals to your preferred temperature. As a final touch, Bertus squeezes some fresh lemon juice over the rump right after he has carved it.

There are many ways to cook the perfect steak, but the best tips we can share with you is to start off with a good quality piece of meat and to let it rest after cooking. We love sharing our beef just as much as we love producing it. For more favourite family recipes with Sparta Beef, click https://sparta.co.za/recipes/ or visit our YouTube channel (follow the link to our Family Recipe page from our website).

-Miejon van Zyl