Friday night is Steak Night in Housedad Towers. It might sound boring to do the same thing every week, but when one reaches a certain age, routine keeps you sane. And besides, no steak is EVER the same.
Even if there is only one (in my opinion) tried and tested method for how to cook them (white hot pan; oil the steak, not the pan; sear for 2 mins either side, for medium-rare; flip ever 15 seconds; allow to rest for 5 mins; season with salt and pepper) there is a multitude of breeds; a myriad of cuts; a plethora of sauces and flavourings for how to enhance which equates to so many combinations for Steak Night that my biggest fear is that there arent enough Fridays in a lifetime.
Tonights combo is this:
The breed: Wagyu.
The cut: Fillet.
The embellishment: Wasabi Butter.
The accompaniments: Triple-cooked Chips and Rocket salad.
How to make the miso butter.
1. I used 1 tbsp of this wasabi (Japanese horseradish) paste, which I bought at M&S, then mashed it together with a fork with 3 tbsp salted butter and 1 finely chopped garlic clove, before rolling it in clingfilm and freezing, ready for use later.
How to make the triple-cooked chips.
1. Peel floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edwards, and cut into 1cm-thick chips.
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and par-boil the chips for around 5 mins until theyre very tender and on the verge of falling apart. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and leave to dry.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 litre of oil (sunflower or vegetable) in a chip pan or wok. When it is hot enough for a dipped chip to sizzle, lower in the dry chips (carefully does it) and cook for around 5 mins until they turn yellow. This stage drives out the moisture in the potatoes. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
4. When youre ready for the final stage, heat the oil until smoking hot and carefully immerse the twice-cooked chips. Cook for 1-2 mins, taking care not to burn. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt.
To cook the steaks
1. As described above, but here are some cooking times:
Blue: 1 minute each side
Rare: 1½ minutes each side
Medium rare: 2 minutes each side
Medium: 2¼ minutes each side
Medium-well done: 2½ 3 minutes each side.
2. A minute before the end of cooking, cut the wasabi butter into two discs and add to the frying pan. Baste the steaks before removing to a warm plate to rest for 3-5 mins.
When youre ready to serve, stack the chips, pile the rocket, plate the steak, and pour the buttery wasabi juices over the lot. Heaven on ceramic!
