Hawksmoor has become something of a steak institution in London. Ask anyone where to go for the best and they will guide you here. To earn such a reputation requires the undisputed know-how, so we sought the wisdom of Mr Richard Turner, the restaurant's Executive Chef and meat specialist, to provide the ultimate guide to cooking the perfect steak at home. We've also included a great article from our friends at Carnivore Style, as we always say, knowledge is power.
1. Buy good meat
This is the key. Ask the butcher for beef from a traditional British breed where the cow has lived a bit (ideally 30 months plus) and spent most of its time eating grass as nature intended. It’s important that it’s been humanely dispatched and hung for at least 28 days (35 is better).
2. Buy thick
The aim is to get a good char on the outside whilst keeping the meat juicy and tender inside, this is impossible with a thin piece of meat. Ideally each steak should be at least 300g (10½ oz) and 4cm thick.
3. Use the right surface
There’s a huge difference between a steak cooked over real charcoal and one cooked in a pan, so ideally at this point you want to fire up the barbecue. Take the meat out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to bring it up to room temperature.
4. Get the grill really, really hot
You need to get it to the point where it’s painful to hold your hand anywhere near it. Make sure there’s decent ventilation – there’s going to be lots of smoke.
5. Season the steak well (more than you might expect)
For the best results use a pot of Hawksmoor steak seasoning (an uncomplicated blend of Smoked Maldon Sea Salt, regular Maldon and coarsely ground black pepper - good meat won’t need anything else). Don’t bother with oil either. If the grill is hot enough the steak won’t stick.
6. Use the right moves
Stick the steak on. Leave it for a couple of minutes and then turn. Carry on turning every couple of minutes until it’s the way you like it. Move the steak if you see yellow flames from the barbecue otherwise it will become too smoky). If cooking more than one, don’t overcrowd them.
7. Don’t leave them on the heat too long
It’s impossible to give exact cooking times; it depends on the temperature of the grill, thickness of the steak and what cut it is. To get one of our 600g Bone-in Sirloins to Medium Rare we cook them (turning regularly) for 10 minutes.
8. Let it rest
A good rule of thumb is to rest it for as long as you cook it.
9. Eat away
If it’s good meat and there’s enough seasoning you shouldn't need any sauce, just a bit of salad to mop up the juice.
With restaurants just a moment's walk away from both Murdock Covent Garden and Shoreditch, be sure to pay a post-appointment visit to enjoy the extensive delights of the full Hawksmoor menu.
To find out some more awesome tips we highly recommend checking out this great article from our friends at Carnivore Style, Steak Cooking Levels.