Steak with garlic butter recipe

Step-by-step

1. Make the garlic butter first. Crush the garlic and finely chop the parsley. Put these into a small bowl. Add the butter, 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and season with pepper, then mix well with a fork.
2. Unroll a sheet of plastic wrap (clingfilm) onto the work surface. Spoon the butter onto the plastic wrap in a rough rectangle shape. Roll the wrap around the butter, then twist the ends to make a tight cylinder. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes, until firm (or for longer in the refrigerator, depending on how much time you have).
3. While the butter is chilling, cut any excess fat off the steak (too much will just cause the kitchen to get smoky), leaving a layer about 5mm (0.2 inch) thick. Cut into this fat edge with a pair of kitchen scissors to prevent the steaks from curling up too much as they cook.
4. When you’re ready to cook the steaks, rub them with the oil, then season generously with salt and pepper.
5. Heat a skillet or ridged grill (griddle) pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Put the steaks into the pan then cook, without moving them around, for 2 minutes. The steak should give a loud sizzle as the first edge hits the pan; if not, the pan isn’t hot enough. Give it another minute to heat up, then try again.
6. Press down a few times on the surface of the steaks with a spatula (palette knife) as they cook to encourage a deep, golden crust underneath.
7. Turn the steaks over and cook for another 2 minutes for medium-rare (pink and juicy in the middle). Press down on the meat as before to encourage good colour and a crusty exterior. After 2 minutes on each side, press the steak. Instead of feeling soft or bouncy, a medium-rare steak will just yield to your finger. For medium steak, allow 3 minutes per side. To cook the fat along the edge of the steak, use tongs to hold the steak, fat edge down, against the pan. Hold the steak for about 30 seconds, until the fat turns golden.
8. Lift the steaks onto a warmed plate and remove the pan from the heat. Cover the steaks loosely with aluminium foil then let rest for a couple of minutes. While you wait, preheat the grill (broiler)to high.
9. Return the steaks and their resting juices to the pan. Unwrap the butter and slice off 2 thick disks. Put them on top of the steaks.
10.  Flash the steaks under the grill for 30 seconds, or until the butter starts to melt over the steaks and into the juices below.
11.  Serve the steak with the buttery juices and enjoy immediately.

This recipe is from Simple and Classic: 123 step-by-step recipes by Jane Hornby. Published by Phaidon.