How to cook a steak is as personal a choice as the sauce you like to serve it with (and yes, ketchup IS an option). But now, a new generation of meat-eaters have spoken and declared medium-rare as the definitive way to eat a steak.
A survey of 2,000 Brits* carried out by Greene King Pub & Grill delved into the nation’s steak-eating preferences. According to recent research more than a quarter (28 per cent) of Gen Z (people born between 1997-2012) plump for their steak to be a little on the pink side.
In addition, nearly a third (27 per cent) said they prefer their steak cooked rare, while a fifth (20 per cent) enjoy blue steak. Older generations tend to favour a well-cooked steak as 25 per cent aged between 55-64-years-old said they prefer well-done steak. Whereas among 25 to 34-year-olds, a slightly less cooked steak was most popular – with two out of five respondents preferring medium-rare steak.
Not only did the survey reveal how people prefer their steaks cooked, but it also highlighted the favourite cuts in each region. Fillet steak tops the chart in the South East of England (31 per cent), Rib Eye was the steak of choice in the North West (31 per cent), all the love for Sirloin in the North East (22 per cent), Rump was favoured in London (16 per cent), while the T-bone steak was the number one pick in the East Midlands (12 per cent).
Each of these different cuts lends itself to different cooking methods. Here’s a potted steak-buying guide to help you choose the right steak for your preferred way of eating it.
Rib-eye: Perhaps the best cut if you prefer your steaks medium to well-done as this gives the fat chance to render down and adds to the flavour and tenderness.
Rump steak: A great value steak – also a great cut to pan-fry and serve medium-rare.
Chateaubriand: The ultimate in luxury, this is an extremely tender steak – best-cooked medium-rare. It also makes an excellent Beef Wellington.
Sirloin: If you like your steak ‘blue’, sirloin is for you.
So, you have chosen your steak but what is your favourite accompaniment?
According to one in five Brits who took part in the survey, peppercorn sauce has been voted the best, with garlic butter and good old tomato ketchup being favourited by 10 percent of participants, respectively. As for side dishes to go with their steak, Brits prefer their chips chunky and triple-cooked over the more French-inspired ‘frites’ or fries.
Steak and chips may be a classic but chef Rosie Dicker offers up a couple of recipe ideas to try.
She suggests rustling up a quick but impressive lunchtime feast by roasting 700g of Rib-eye or fillet steak to make the perfect steak sandwich.
Ready in a little under 30-minutes this is a real people-pleaser. And if you’re wondering, Rosie’s favourite steak to serve at home is Rib-eye. She also has a secret ingredient when it comes to cooking perfect restaurant-style steak at home – duck fat.
When it comes to selecting your favourite steaks from our range, rest assured the quality and flavour are unrivalled. Lakings’ beef comes from a herd of entirely grass-fed Lincoln Red heifers raised in an entirely traditional environment by Lincolnshire-based farmer John Needham. This makes for a happy, healthy herd that is sustainably and ethically farmed.
Now all you need to decide is whether to have it cooked rare, medium-rare or well-done, choose between skinny or chunky chips and which sauce to have on the side. So many decisions – so long as you’re happy, we don’t believe there are any bad choices when it comes to steak.
*Data taken from a OnePoll survey of 2,000 respondents carried out by Greene King Pub & Grill in May 2022.
