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The Steak Guide

Pick the cut, cook it right, rest it, slice it.

A good steak needs three things: the right cut for the job, plenty of heat, and a few minutes of rest. This guide covers all three, with the temperatures we use ourselves. A meat thermometer is the best few dollars you will spend in the kitchen.

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The cover of The Steak Guide: A thick seared steak cut in half to show a pink centre, on a dark board with butter and rosemary.Illustration

Part 1

The cuts

Six steaks: where each one comes from, how tender it is, and what it does best.

  • Scotch fillet

    Also called ribeye (off the bone)

    From The rib section, along the top of the back just behind the shoulder.

    TendernessVery tender

    FatRich, well marbled

    Best for
    Rich flavour and a forgiving cook. The all-rounder.
    How to cook it
    Hot pan or barbecue. Medium-rare to medium lets the marbling melt through the meat.

  • Rump

    From The rump, at the top of the back leg, where the back meets the hip.

    TendernessTender

    FatSome fat

    Best for
    Big beefy flavour with a little more chew. Great value for a crowd.
    How to cook it
    Pan or barbecue, then slice thinly across the grain. Lovely with a marinade. Best no further than medium.

  • Eye fillet

    Also called tenderloin

    From The tenderloin, a long muscle tucked under the backbone in the loin. It does almost no work, so it is very tender.

    TendernessThe most tender

    FatLean

    Best for
    The most tender steak, lean and mild. A special occasion steak.
    How to cook it
    A short, very hot sear. Baste with butter for flavour. Take it off at medium-rare or medium.

  • New York

    Also called sirloin or porterhouse

    From The sirloin (striploin), along the middle of the back in the loin.

    TendernessVery tender

    FatSome fat

    Best for
    A firm, fine texture with a strip of fat along one edge.
    How to cook it
    Stand it on its fat edge in the pan first to render and crisp the fat, then cook the faces.

  • T-bone

    From The loin, cut across the backbone, so it has sirloin on one side and fillet on the other.

    TendernessVery tender

    FatSome fat

    Best for
    Two steaks in one: sirloin on one side of the bone, a little fillet on the other.
    How to cook it
    The fillet side cooks faster, so keep it towards the cooler part of the pan or grill.

  • Rump cap

    Also called picanha

    From The top of the rump, the muscle that sits under the thick layer of fat.

    TendernessTender

    FatRich, well marbled

    Best for
    Juicy, full of flavour, with a thick cap of fat. Made for the barbecue.
    How to cook it
    Score the fat, cook it whole fat side down first, then slice into steaks. Or cut into thick slices first and skewer.
A thick raw scotch fillet steak and a piece of eye fillet on dark slate.Illustration
A scotch fillet and a piece of eye fillet, ready for the pan.
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  1. 1Neck and chuck (shoulder)
  2. 2RibScotch fillet
  3. 3Loin (sirloin and fillet)Eye fillet, New York, T-bone
  4. 4RumpRump, Rump cap
  5. 5Leg (topside, silverside)
  6. 6Brisket
  7. 7Short ribs, plate and flank
  8. 8Shin (osso buco)
Where the six steaks come from. The muscles that do the least work are the most tender.

Part 2

Doneness by temperature

Push a thermometer into the thickest part, from the side.

When to take it off the heat

  1. 50°CRareRed, cool centre. Soft to the touch.
  2. 55°CMedium-rareWarm red centre. The pick for most steaks.
  3. 60°CMediumPink right through. Firmer, still juicy.
  4. 65°CMedium-wellA touch of pink in the middle.
  5. 70°C+Well doneNo pink. Cook gently so it stays moist.

These are the temperatures to take the steak off the heat. It keeps cooking while it rests for 5 minutes, rising a few degrees.

No thermometer? Press the centre of the steak with a fingertip. Rare feels soft, like the fleshy base of your thumb with your hand relaxed. The firmer it feels, the more done it is. It takes practice, so a thermometer is the surer bet.

Part 3

In the pan

Pan-fried steak

  1. Step 1: Take the steak out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking and pat it dry with paper towel.
  2. Step 2: Heat a heavy frying pan over high heat until it is smoking hot.
  3. Step 3: Rub the steak with a little oil and season well with salt just before it goes in. Oil the steak, not the pan.
  4. Step 4: Lay it in the pan away from you and leave it for a minute to start the crust.
  5. Step 5: Turn it every minute or so for an even crust and even cooking. Stand a sirloin on its fat edge first.
  6. Step 6: For the last couple of minutes, add a knob of butter, a crushed garlic clove and some thyme, and spoon the foaming butter over the steak.
  7. Step 7: Check the temperature and take it off a few degrees early, using the table above.
  8. Step 8: Rest it on a warm plate, loosely covered, for 5 minutes. Pour the resting juices back over it.

Part 4

On the barbecue

Barbecued steak

  1. Step 1: Heat the barbecue well, with the lid down, for 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. Step 2: Set up two zones: one side on high, the other on low. The cooler side is your safety net.
  3. Step 3: Clean the grill and wipe it with an oiled cloth. Oil and salt the steak.
  4. Step 4: Sear over the hot side, turning every minute or two, until it is well browned.
  5. Step 5: Move thick steaks to the cooler side to finish gently, with the lid down if you like.
  6. Step 6: Take it off a few degrees early and rest it for 5 minutes before slicing.
Two chargrilled steaks with grill marks and rosemary on slate.
A hot grill gives a deep crust. Move to the cooler side to finish.

Part 5

Resting and slicing

Resting lets the juices settle back through the meat, so they stay in the steak and not on the board. Five minutes is enough for most steaks. Keep it somewhere warm and cover it loosely with foil, without wrapping it tight or the crust will steam.

Look for the lines running along the meat: that is the grain. Slice across those lines, not along them, so every slice is short-fibred and tender. This matters most for rump, rump cap and skirt.

  • Season with salt just before cooking, or at least 40 minutes before. In between draws moisture to the surface.
  • Do not crowd the pan. Cook two at a time if you need to.
  • Press only to test, never to flatten: pressing pushes the juices out.
  • A sharp knife and a board with a groove keep the juices for the plate.

Keep it in the kitchen

The Steak Guide as a printable PDF, free. We'll email you a link to download it.

Free. We'll email you a download link.

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