Cooking the perfect steak at home

It may seem a little strange that the culinary director of Gaucho, the storied Argentinian steak brand, which has been serving up huge hunks of grilled beef in the UK since 1994, didn’t actually used to like meat.

French-born chef Anthony Ekizian, who has lived in London for 20 years, as a kid, was not carnivorous. If he did have to eat it, “it was well done”.

But just as he accidentally stumbled into the world of high dining - he left school at 16 without much of a plan, and ended up working at Club 55 in Saint Tropez (“I really didn’t choose to be a chef”) - meat found him somehow.

“When I started as an apprentice, there were some steaks on the grill, on the wood fire. I remember the [team was] showing me. I was just putting vegetables next to it, I was observing, and the head chef was talking to me about cuts. I didn’t know anything really about it, but he cooked it rare, I remember it was very rare inside.” And that was it, he became a meat lover.

Since then, Ekizian has travelled the world, worked in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, including in Cannes, and now heads up Gaucho, for whom he has written a new cookbook, Gaucho: The Spirit Of Argentina: A Cookbook.

It contains essays on the history of the Gaucho (traditional Argentinian cattle herders) and the incredible landscapes they rear their cows on, alongside recipes for steak that go beyond a slab of meat and fries (although, it doesn’t knock the basics in the least).

So what are Ekizian’s foolproof tips for getting steak right at home?

The major mistake home cooks make when it comes to steak

It comes way before you even start cooking. “[They] buy the wrong quality of beef. You need to buy quality,” says Ekizian. “I know there are some good supermarkets, but we need to also support our farmers and individual businesses, like butchers and farms. It needs to be about quality, the right product from the beginning.”

He says there’s incredible British beef available, although it may not quite compete with Argentinian cows. “You go to Argentina and the beef is exceptional. Everything is kilometres and kilometres of pampas grass and hills, and you have these cows moving every day to a different patch to eat different types of grass or herbs. They are just outside. There’s no barn. They’re like wild cows, really, and when you get that, it’s gonna be great.”

Don’t be swayed by trendy cuts

“For me, the perfect steak is obviously a cut that you like,” says Ekizian. So what if the flat iron steak is everywhere?! If you like a T-bone, get a T-bone. Your butcher will be able to talk you through the different cuts, from skirt to fillet, sirloin to rump, and from there, it’s about working out what your taste buds appreciate the most.

Let it hang out in the fridge for a bit

Once you’ve picked the right cut for you, and it has the “right provenance and quality, usually I put it on a wire rack in the fridge so there’s air going through - I let it air-dry,” says Ekizian. “If I don’t have time, for a couple of hours, or ideally, overnight. It always helps to take out the moisture, so it’s a bit dry but it’s not dry-aged. It means there’s less moisture when it goes in the pan and it gives you a nice crust.”

Don’t forget the seasoning

He says that with seasoning, there are “different schools of thought” “You can season it a bit before, like a minute before, or you can season it directly on the grill, which I do.” Either way, salt is non-negotiable.

Whack it on the grill, or barbie

When it’s time to start cooking - once your beef has come up to room temperature - you need a “very hot grill or a very hot pan,” says Ekizian. And the ideal scenario is to be cooking on real fire.

“There is something about cooking over a wood fire that makes it better,” he says, almost wistfully. You get a smokiness and a char that cooking on an induction hob, for instance, isn’t going to give you.

It’s all about timing

How long you sear your steak for on either side depends on its thickness, and how well done you like it. Regardless, “it needs to rest. If you cook a steak for four minutes, two minutes on each side, then leave it to rest for a good minute, minute and a half, and that’s gonna be just perfect,” says Ekizian.

‘Done-ness’ can be confusing, and people prod their thumbs to work out what the meat should feel like. “Meat probes are great when you’re not sure,” reassures Ekizian. “Someone like me who’s been doing this for years, we know by touching, or by looking at the meat, but I do recommend people use a probe.”

Sides and sauces

Fries and baked potatoes are the obvious, delicious accompaniments (or if you’re going retro, grilled tomatoes and portobello mushrooms), but with sauce, “I’ll be honest with you, I’m not a sauce person, so I like to have my steak with a bit of salt,” says Ekizian, upsetting peppercorn sauce fans everywhere.

“If I do have a sauce, it will be a chimichurri, because this is just brilliant: oregano, a bit of olive oil.”

Try not to feel overwhelmed

Ekizian admits: “It’s scary when you don’t know [what you’re doing completely]. But, once you understand the basics “it can be very simple. Actually, it’s not that difficult, just a couple of steps that you need to take. It’s really about practice.”

Now try these three recipes...

Gaucho: The Spirit Of Argentina: A Cookbook, by Anthony Ekizian, is published in hardback by Bloomsbury Photography by Sam A. Harris.

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Churrasco de Chorizo

A simple sirloin that will become a staple dish.

“One of Gaucho’s original offerings, this steak borrows the word churrasco from the Brazilian equivalent to asado,” explains Gaucho culinary director Anthony Ekizian.

“It is a butterfly-cut, marinated sirloin and delivers a bold, smoky South American char. For best results, choose steaks that are around eight centimetres thick.”

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 x thick 800g sirloins (a chorizos cut in Argentina)

2tsps sea salt

For churrasco marinade:

100g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

200ml rapeseed oil

10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Method

• First, prepare marinade. In a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients until well mixed.
• To prepare the beef, one at a time, position each sirloin on its edge, fat uppermost. Place blade of meat knife in centre ofthe width of steak. Supporting the steak with your free hand (and minding your fingers), carefully slice through the thickness of the steak, using the knife heel to tip and taking care not to cut all the way to the end of the steak. Once you’ve made a full slice downwards, lay the steak flat and cut towards the hinge, stopping about three to four centimetres from the end for even thickness. Open out the steak, like a book.
• Place prepared sirloins in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over meat, ensuring it’s evenly coated. Cover dish tightly with cling film or seal the bag, and refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight, to allow flavours to meld.
• Prepare your barbecue (or heat source).
• When you’re almost ready to cook, remove meat from fridge and leave to come up to room temperature - about 30 minutes should do it. Meanwhile, prepare a cooking area over your embers/flame to give a medium-high grilling heat.
• Remove sirloins from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Place steaks on your prepared grill and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side (for medium-rare), or until cooked to your desired level of ‘doneness’. Use marinade left in dish to baste meat as it’s grilling - to ensure you get maximum flavour.
• Cover cooked meat with foil and leave to rest for about 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Slice, and serve with your favourite sides.

Lomo Al Diablo

It’s all about the spices with this steak.

“A fiery, flavourful take on steak, this dish combines succulent and tender beef fillet with a bold kick of spices. It’s perfect if you like something that’s quick to cook and gives plenty of heat,” says Anthony Ekizian.

Ingredients (serves 2)

4 x 100g fillet (lomo) medallions

Olive oil, for brushing

Sea salt

For the spicy rub:

2tsp onion powder

2tsp garlic powder

1/2tsp chilli powder

2tbsp sweet paprika

For the salsa Argentinos:

2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

30g flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2tsp aji molido

1/2tsp sherry vinegar

1/2tbsp dried oregano

Method

• Mix all the ingredients for the rub together and set aside (this will make a little more than you need for the recipe, but the remainder will keep for up to one month in an airtight container).
• In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the salsa. Set aside.
• Place the steak medallions on a large tray and pat dry with kitchen paper. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle two tablespoons of the spicy rub evenly over the beef medallions, massaging the rub into the surface to ensure it sticks well. Cover the medallions with foil and marinate them in the fridge for at least one hour, or up to 12 hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare your barbecue to produce a high heat. Or prepare your heat source. Bring the meat up to room temperature.
• When you’re ready to cook, season the medallions with salt, then place them directly on the grill. Sear them for two minutes, then flip them and grill them for two minutes on the other side - this will give you a medium-rare finish.
• Remove the steaks from the grill, cover with foil and leave them to rest for about five minutes before serving with the salsa drizzled over.

Sweet Baked Potatoes with Goat’s Cheese & Creme Fraiche

These are great on their own, or with a side of perfectly cooked steak.

“This Gaucho classic does everything it can to celebrate versatile and delicious sweet potatoes, which appear frequently in various forms in Argentinian cooking,” says Anthony Ekizian.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 sweet potatoes

1tsbp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish

150g goat’s cheese, crumbled

100g creme fraiche

2tbsp finely chopped chives

2tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

Method

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork. Place potatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with the oil, and rub them to coat them evenly. Then, sprinkle them lightly with sea salt. Bake the sweet potatoes for about 45-60 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
• While the potatoes are baking, in a small bowl, combine the goat’s cheese, creme fraiche, and half of the chopped chives. Season the mixture with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Once the sweet potatoes are baked, remove from oven and let them cool slightly. Cut a slit down centre of each sweet potato, being careful not to cut all the way through, and gently open them to create space for the filling.
• Spoon the goat’s cheese and creme fraiche mixture into the centre of each sweet potato, leaving it to melt slightly into the warm flesh. Sprinkle the remaining chopped chives and all the parsley evenly over the top.
• Serve immediately, garnished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a grinding of black pepper, if desired.

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