How to Cook the Perfect Scotch Fillet at Home

You don't need a steakhouse to cook a steakhouse-quality steak. You just need a good piece of meat, a hot pan, and the patience not to fiddle with it. Here's the method we use, and the same one our customers swear by.

What you'll need

• 1 Morpeth Butchery scotch fillet per person, about 2.5cm thick
• Sea salt flakes
• Cracked black pepper
• Neutral oil (rice bran, grapeseed, or vegetable)
• Knob of butter
• Optional: garlic clove (smashed, skin on), sprig of thyme or rosemary

Method

1. Take the steak out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking. Cold steak in a hot pan steams instead of sears. This step matters more than people realise.
2. Pat the surface completely dry with paper towel. Season generously with salt on both sides - more than feels right.
3. Heat your heaviest pan (cast iron is best) on high until it's smoking hot.
4. Add a thin layer of oil. Lay the steak away from you. Don't move it. Don't poke it. Let it sear for 3-4 minutes until a deep brown crust forms.
5. Flip once. Cook the other side 3 minutes for medium-rare.
6. In the last minute, add the butter, smashed garlic and herb. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the steak (this is called arrosage and it's incredible).
7. Rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Skip the rest and you lose half the juice to your plate.
8. Crack pepper over the rested steak. Slice across the grain.

The temperature guide

• Rare: 50?C internal - 2 min per side
• Medium-rare: 55?C - 3 min per side (our recommendation)
• Medium: 60?C - 4 min per side
• Medium-well: 65?C - 5 min per side

A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out. We sell them across the counter if you don't have one.

What to serve

A simple green salad with mustard vinaigrette. Roast potatoes if you're feeling fancy. Maybe a peppercorn or red wine sauce if it's a special occasion. But honestly - a great scotch fillet doesn't need much more than salt, pepper and butter.