Chef solves five mistakes people make when cooking fillet steak

Research by recipe box company Gousto has found that dinnertime has become more of an occasion in lockdown for almost half of Brits (45 per cent).
Steak recipeSteak recipe
Steak recipe

To help recreate this sense of occasion from your very own kitchen, Gousto has introduced a new fillet steak onto its weekly menu.

To make sure that you really do this tender cut of beef justice, Gousto’s senior recipe developer Jordan Moore has answered some questions to help solve the five top mistakes we make when cooking steak at home.

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Question: My steak is overcooked on the outside but not in the middle, how can I cook my steak evenly?

Jordan’s Answer: Get your meat out of the fridge at least 30 mins before cooking it. Bringing it to room temperature will give you a much more even cook!

Question: I find it hard to cook fillet steak evenly, it’s often too rare or too well done for my liking.

Jordan’s Answer: Fillet steaks are usually cut thicker than a sirloin or ribeye so they will take a little longer to cook. For this, you’ll need to control the temperature of the pan so that you have a lovely golden crust, but don’t burn it.

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When you first put your steak in the (very hot) pan, don’t touch or move it around at all to ensure you develop a crust.

If after you’ve developed the crust on both sides you’re starting to see it catch, reduce the heat slightly and turn the steak more regularly to prevent burning.

Question: Does it matter if my steaks are different thicknesses or shapes? Do I need to adjust the cook time?

Jordan’s Answer: Every steak will be slightly different in shape, size and texture meaning that you should treat each one differently. If you notice one steak is a little thicker than the other, give it an extra 30 seconds in the pan on each side.

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Question: Is there a way of telling if my steak is cooked to perfection without cutting it open and losing all of the juices and flavour into the pan?

Jordan’s Answer: Invest in a temperature probe to ensure you take your steak out of the pan the moment it hits the perfect temperature. For medium this would be between 60-65°C.

Question: Juices from my steak run all over my plate, leaving me with a dry and chewy steak - what can I do?

Jordan’s Answer: Resting is key to successfully cooking a fillet steak! Don’t be too eager to dig into your steak as resting will improve the flavour, juiciness and will give you a more even cook. Transfer it to a plate and set aside somewhere warm for at least 5 minutes!

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Gousto’s 21-Day Aged Fillet Steak, Chips & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce recipe is available to order now at www.gousto.co.uk.

Gousto’s 21-Day Aged Fillet Steak, Parmentier Potatoes & Bistro Butter recipe is available to order from 16th June.

Here is a recipe for 21-Day Aged Fillet Steak, Chips & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

Ingredients (for 2, double for 4)

1 shallot

​1 garlic clove

​8g soy sauce

​120g trimmed fine green beans

​15ml Chinese rice wine

​2.5g cracked black pepper

​1 pot of crème fraîche (100g)

​4 white potatoes

​2 x 175g British fillet steak

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ 395°F/ Gas 6 Chop the potatoes (skins on) into chips.

Step 2

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Add the chips to a baking tray with a drizzle of vegetable oil and a generous pinch of salt. Give everything a good mix up and add the tray to the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Step 3

Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the shallot. Peel and finely chop (or grate!) the garlic. Boil a kettle.

Step 4

Meanwhile, heat a separate, large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid), with a knob of butter over a medium heat. Once melted, add the chopped garlic and green beans and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt and add a splash of boiled water and cook, covered, for 4-5 minutes or until the beans are tender. Once done, keep covered and set aside for later – these are your garlic beans.

Step 5

Pat the fillet steaks dry with kitchen paper, rub them with vegetable oil and season both sides generously with salt. Heat a large, dry, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a high heat. Once very hot, add the fillet steaks to the pan. For rare, cook for 3-4 min max on each side. For medium-rare, cook for 4-5 min on each side. For medium, cook for 5-6 min on each side. Once the steaks are cooked, transfer them to a plate to rest

Step 6

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Once the steaks are done, return the pan to a low heat. Add the diced shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes or until softened.

Step 7

Add the soy sauce and crème fraîche and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Tip: Scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan as this will add extra flavour to the sauce!

Add the cracked black pepper and Chinese rice wine and cook for 1-2 minutes further or until the sauce has thickened – this is your peppercorn sauce

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Tip: Add a splash of boiled water if your sauce is looking a little thick!

Step 8

Pour any resting juices into the peppercorn sauce. Serve the fillet steak over the peppercorn sauce with the chips and garlic beans to the side.

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