Cooking steak is a joy because it is a terrific piece of meat that has great flavour whether it is grilled or pan-fried. I suggest you pan-fry the more delicate cuts such as fillet and maybe a young sirloin, and grill the bigger, tastier, fattier ones like the rump, rib or anything on a bone.

Pan-frying

You want to use a solid pan that will hold the heat well,
nothing flimsy. A black cast-iron pan is perfect. Always heat the pan for a long time, and if your steak is really thick, heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6 a good 15 minutes before you start to cook it. Rub the steak with ample oil - vegetable oil, nothing stronger as the steak tastes great itself.

Season with salt and pepper after it is covered with oil, otherwise the salt will start to eat into the meat and dry it out.

Open a window and a door to get fresh air because you are going to have lots of smoke. Drop the steak into the pan when it is so hot it is hard to put your hand close to it. Do not touch the steak for 2 minutes. Then turn it over and, if it is not sizzling, add some more oil but keep that heat high. Sear for 2 minutes more and then turn again (unless you like your steak blue). If it is really thick, say 5-7.5cm, put the pan in the oven for around 4 minutes, depending on how you want it cooked.

Take the steak out and leave it to rest for 5 minutes before you serve. Remember the steak will continue to cook while it is resting.

Griddle

Put a ridged cast-iron plate over a high heat for 10 minutes before you even think about cooking. Rub the steak with oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Lay the steak on the griddle and leave for 2 minutes, then flip and do the same. Cook as long as you need then take the steak off and leave to rest. If the meat is really thick, put it in the oven while still on the griddle plate.

Grilling over coals

Follow the same principles as a griddle plate but keep an eye out for yellow flames. This means the fat has caught fire, so move the steak to a different part of the grill.

Sauces

Ceps Bordelaise sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
50g butter
2 large shallots
diced 1 garlic clove, crushed to paste
400g ceps
200ml good red wine
1 thumb-sized piece of bone marrow (optional)
2 handfuls chopped parsley

Heat a large pan and add the oil and the butter. Cook the shallots gently for few minutes, stirring until soft - don't let them brown. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring often. Slice the mushrooms about the thickness of your little finger and drop them in with the shallots. Stir, shake and cook for 5 minutes until it all smells delicious. Add the wine, and the bone marrow (if using). Boil for 3 minutes, then take it off the heat and add the parsley.

Bernaise sauce

Serves 2
100ml white wine vinegar
1 shallot, chopped
a few sprigs of tarragon
2 egg yolks
120g warm melted butter
salt and pepper

Put the vinegar, shallot and tarragon in a saucepan and boil until the mixture has reduced by about three-quarters. Allow to cool and pour into in a large stainless steel bowl.

Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Add the egg yolks and whisk until you can see the whisk leaving a pattern in the sauce.

Remove the bowl from the heat and start to add the melted butter, little by little, whisking all the time until all the butter is used or your arm has fallen off! Sitting the bowl on a folded cloth will help to keep the heat in. Season with good salt and plenty of pepper.

Onion rings

Serves 4
700ml vegetable oil, for frying
60ml soda water, chilled
120g cornflour, plus 20g for dusting
1 large pinch salt
2 ice cubes
1 large white or brown onion, skinned and second layer removed

Heat the vegetable oil gently in a deep-fryer or wok over a medium heat. The oil will start to shimmer when ready. Whisk the soda water, cornflour and the salt to a smooth paste. Drop the ice cubes into the batter and keep cool.

Put a kettle of water on to boil. Slice the onion into rounds about 1cm thick and place in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over the onion rings and give them a good stir. Drain and pat them dry. Dust all the onion rings with the extra cornflour and dip them in the batter. Carefully drop the onion rings in the oil one at a time but do it quickly - you want about 10 per batch. Raise the heat if necessary to keep them frying. When the onion rings float to the surface, keep cooking for another minute, then drain on kitchen paper.

Grilled mushrooms

12 large flat field mushrooms
50ml olive oil
salt and pepper
Put the mushrooms on a baking tray, stems facing upwards. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and grill slowly until cooked.

Mustard sauce

300ml single cream
300ml dijon mustard
1 handful chopped parsley

Put the cream in a heavy-based saucepan, bring itto the boil, then let it boil for a few minutes. What we want is for the cream to reduce by half, at which point we use a whisk to beat in the mustard. Take it from the heat, throw in the parsley, stir, and that's it.

Creamed Horseradish

2 tbsp grated horseradish in vinegar
100ml soured cream
1 pinch salt

Squeeze out any excess vinegar from the grated horseradish. Lightly whip the cream and salt. Mix the whole lot together and boom.

Torode's tip

Also good with steak:

Big hunks of roast parsnip and carrot
Sticky ratatouille
Tomato, mozzarella and basil salad
Aubergines and black bean sauce
Fried onions and fried eggs
New potatoes, rosemary and loads of black pepper

Cooking times

Generally for medium steak I'd sear for 2 minutes on each side, then cook a minute extra for each centimetre of thickness, so a 2cm-thick sirloin served medium will take approx 6 minutes. If there is a bone allow 2 minutes extra per centimetre.