How to cook the perfect steak

With Michael Kreuger, executive head chef, Cradle Mountain Hotel

It all starts with the right meat and the right cut of the beef. At Cradle Mountain Hotel we use our local Mt Roland Range Beef, which is just in front of our doorstep and has a good quality in tenderness, fat and taste.

My personal favorite cut is the porterhouse it has a nice texture, a good amount of fat and doesn’t lose the shape during the cooking process.

I would always leave the fat on top of the steak on, instead of trimming it down, as it gives you juiciness and taste.

I would use a 2cm thick slice, which will be around 300-350g. It is important that the steak has the same thickness everywhere, otherwise it doesn’t cook evenly. For seasoning I would just go for salt, cracked pepper and a tiny bit of oil (no olive oil) and nothing else.

My preference for cooking a steak is on a charcoal grill but a gas BBQ or a nice hot pan does the job. It is important that the surface where you put the steak on is hot – let’s say around 210-250C. That helps to close the pore of the meat so no juice can run out and you also get a nice char flavour.

Leave it on one side for about two minutes then turn it to the other side for another two minutes and repeat that process two times. Your steak will be now between medium-rare and medium, which for me is the best temperature for a porterhouse steak. Take it off the heat and let it rest for about one minute so the meat juice can settle down and it’s not running out when you cut it.

As a side for the steak I like fresh grilled or cooked vegies, some crushed potatoes with caramelised onions and a nice red wine jus.