Author: Gary @ BigSpud

A bit of a geek who loves food.

Categories
food steak

how to cook a t bone steak

I’d never cooked a t bone steak before, and searching the web found a mass of conflicting information. I read and watched all I can find and I figure out the key of how cook a t bone steak: nobody talks about the thickness.

If you already know how to cook a steak, you can cook a t bone. The difference is the thickness of the steak. The surface can be done, but the interior will need more time – so transfer it to a hot oven. Additionally, the bone doesn’t conduct heat as well as the meat itself, which mean the steak stays cooler nearer the bone so be prepared for it being less well done in the middle compared to the edge.

I say this all the time with meat cookery and especially steak that you need to use a probe thermometer. Test it when near done and get the temperature where you like it using my handy guide.

Where does the T Bone come from?

The T-bone steak is a classic cut that shares similarities with the porterhouse steak. It consists of both the top loin and sirloin, along with the tenderloin (fillet), connected together by the bone, which is intentionally left intact.

Its name is derived from the bone’s shape, often resembling the letter ‘T.’ The bone in a T-bone steak is actually the lumbar vertebra, which is halved to form part of the cow’s spine. The flesh surrounding this bone comprises the muscles from the spine, contributing to the dense marbling and providing ample fat coverage on the cut.

Although T-bone and porterhouse steaks come from the same region of the cow, they can sometimes be mistaken for one another. The key difference lies in the proportion of fillet present within the cut. To be classified as a porterhouse, the steak must have a larger portion of the fillet, measuring at least 3.1 centimetres in width.

Buy a probe thermometer for perfect steak

Want something to go with it? Here’s my recipe for beef dripping sauce

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t bone steak

How to cook the generous steak
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword beef
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Resting time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • probe thermometer

Ingredients

  • 1 t bone steak
  • plain oil
  • butter
  • seasonsings as desired

Instructions

  • Make sure your steak is room temperature before you start, and get a heavy pan on very hot. If your steak is 1 inch thick or more get your oven on very hot too.
  • Salt your meat generously, add a little oil to the pan and cook on one side for a minute. After that flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds. Add some butter to the pan and start basting for 30 seconds.
  • Start testing the temperature of the meat and once it is within 5 degrees of your desired temp (55C for medium rare) remove it. If it is starting to colour more than you'd like and the temperature is not there, transfer to the oven for a few minutes and continue to test. Rest the meat for 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Categories
courgettes

five recipes for courgettes

Summer is here and that means courgettes are here too in abundance. We grow some at home every year and we end up with a glut, giving away as many as we can but also of course packing them into as many dishes as we can. If you don’t grow them you should find they are dirt cheap at the supermarkets while they are bang in season.

Here are 5 of my favourite ways to use courgettes. (Just to be clear – courgettes are zucchini, American friends.)

If you’d rather watch, there’s a video version here:

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courgette fries

Servings 2

Equipment

  • Deep fat fryer

Ingredients

  • 2 courgettes
  • salt
  • milk
  • plain flour
  • oil for frying

Instructions

  • Slice the courgettes into thin sticks smaller than your finger.
  • Put in a sieve over the sink and sprinkle lightly with salt. Leave for 10 minutes to drain off the excess liquid.
  • While they sit, get a fryer on to 160°C.
  • Get two bowls ready, one with a splash of milk and another with a few shakes of flour (you won't need much).
  • Rinse off the salt, then bathe them in milk. Transfer to the flour then fry for 3 minutes until golden brown. Salt and serve immediately.

 

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creamy courgette pasta

Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 2 courgettes
  • 200 g pasta
  • 2 rashers bacon
  • 100 g mushrooms
  • Handful fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, dill
  • 2 tablespoons creme fraiche

Instructions

  • Get a pan of salted water on to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the pasta instructions. Before the pasta finishes cooking, reserve a few splashes.
  • Slice the courgettes, bacon and pasta into similar sizes. Get a frying pan over a medium heat and begin frying the bacon. Once it starts to colour, add in the mushrooms and courgettes.
  • Stir fry for a few minutes until things start to soften, then turn the heat down. Sir in the creme fraiche and the herbs. Add the reserved water to slacken the mix to a sauce to your liking.
  • Stir in the cooked pasta and check for seasoning. Serve immediately.

 

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roasted orzo salad

Ingredients

  • 200 g orzo pasta
  • 1-2 courgettes
  • 1 pepper
  • Pinch dried herbs thyme, oregano, a mixture
  • Halloumi
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Get a griddle pan on very hot. Also get another pan of water on to boil and cook the orzo according to packet instructions.
  • Slice the peppers and courgettes and toss with a little oil, salt, pepper and dried herbs. Griddle, making sure to scorch both sides.
  • When the veg is cooked remove to a bowl. Slice the halloumi and cook on the griddle for 2 minutes each side just to char.
  • Add oil and vinegar to the veg tossing well to coat. Add the pasta and taste, adjusting vinegar, salt and pepper as desired. Pour into a bowl and top with halloumi.
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courgette layer bake

Ingredients

  • 1 courgette
  • ½ tin your favourite tomato sauce or passata like you would use for pasta or pizza topping
  • 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
  • parmesan
  • mozzarella large pinch

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  • Add a layer of courgettes to a small baking dish. Season lightly then spoon over a layer of tomato sauce. Add courgettes, then repeat sauce and courgettes.
  • Mix the creme fraiche and parmesan together and spread over the top. Scatter over grated mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes, until a knife goes in easily.

 

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courgette and chocolate cake

Ingredients

  • 120 g softened unsalted butter
  • 125 ml sunflower oil
  • 300 g sugar mix of brown and white
  • 3 eggs
  • 125 ml milk
  • 350 g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 400 g courgettes
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 50 g chocolate chips
  • 50 g fudge chunks

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a baking tin and line with baking paper.
  • Put the butter, oil and sugar in a bowl and beat them together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and then the milk.
  • Tip in the dry ingredients and fold them into the mixture. Stir in the courgettes, chocolate chips, fudge and vanilla, then spoon the mixture into the tin.
  • Bake for 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Categories
food video

the original TV chef: a keith floyd biography

Keith Floyd played a significant role in shaping the modern TV cookery show. His unplanned approach brought about a sea change in television cooking programs. He’s one of the greatest TV cooks ever, so I decided to make a video biography about him:

Prior to Floyd, cooking shows were often formal and instructional, focusing solely on the process of preparing a dish. Fanny Cradock and Delia Smith were – quite appropriately – focused on the food. In his words “dull and worthy and akin to a secondary school lesson in modern home economics.” Keith Floyd’s unscripted style and relaxed approach to filming brought a sense of chaos to the world of TV cooking shows. Unlike the meticulously planned and rehearsed programs that came before him, Floyd embraced spontaneity and welcomed the unpredictable moments that unfolded during filming. His shows were known for their sense of adventure and the feeling that anything could happen at any moment.

It is the story of a partying nomad, trying his hand at something for five minutes before moving on to the next thing that had caught his attention. And while a life well lived, it also feels like a life stopping short of true happiness. He died at age 65, having been married 5 times, survived by his son and daughter.

I’ve written about Keith before, but please check out my video. As the cool kids say, please like and subscribe!

Here’s The Guardian’s contemporaneous obituary.

Categories
food onion

onion loaf miller and carter style

Miller and Carter steakhouse are a chain of about 100 restaurants in the UK. They specialise in premium beef with the ‘steak experience’ being their main event. You get a steak cut such as rib eye or sirloin, your choice of sauce, lettuce wedge with dressing, fries and the onion loaf. I enjoy cooking and eating steak a lot but they aren’t the cheapest, so I like to recreate this meal, so here’s my take on the Miller and Carter onion loaf recipe. This copycat recipe will satisfy if you’re looking for that restaurant vibe.

The Miller and Carter steak experience, rib eye, fries, beef dripping sauce and onion loaf in the bottom right

Onion loaf? What like bread? No. Actually it’s much closer to an onion bhaji like you’d find at an Indian restaurant; chunks of onion in batter fried. Though a little less chilli than those recipes!

The onion loaf can serve as a great accompaniment to a steak. With a crispy and golden-brown exterior, and a sweet and savoury taste that can enhance the overall flavour.

Though it’s not just for steak – it would work really well on a roast dinner, perfect with a barbecue and dare I say it – would work really well with pie and mash with lashings of gravy.

My version!

So my recipe below isn’t very difficult but does require a little time to salt the onions. And it is best if you have a deep fat fryer, or are happy frying in a few centimetres of oil. If not you could make thin patties and fry both sides, or alternatively oven bake. You won’t get that same crunch but it will be healthier and less stressful to manage alongside the rest of dinner. However you do it it’s a tasty, savoury side dish perfect for any hearty meal.

I also made a beef dripping sauce just like Miller and Carter’s. And the bordelaise sauce.

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miller and carter onion loaf

A replica of the crispy onion side dish you can order at a steakhouse.
Course Side Dish
Keyword copycat recipe, fakeaway
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Salting time 30 minutes
Servings 2 loaves

Equipment

  • Deep fat fryer

Ingredients

  • 2 onions approx 350g once prepared
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour about 50g
  • milk just a splash, optional
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions

  • Peel and halve the onions. Slice into thin half moons and place into a large bowl.
  • Sprinkle with salt and stir well to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes to soften.
  • After 30 minutes fill the onion bowl with cold water. Swish them around in the water, then drain them off and rinse in more cold water to get as much salt off as possible. Tip them onto a clean tea towel or several layers of paper towel. Squeeze and squish them dry.
  • Beat the egg and mix with the flour, pepper and paprika. If needed add tiny amounts of milk (like a teaspoon at a time) to make a batter thick like custard. Stir the dried onions in. You will not need to salt this batter, the salt soaking earlier will do your salting for you.
  • Take the onion batter and form into blocks approx 2cm deep. You can freeform this, or you can use a mini-loaf baking tray, lined with cling film. Cover and freeze for at least an hour but they can be frozen for months at this point. The freezing helps the onions bind together.
  • When ready to cook preheat your fryer to 160°C. Turn the loaves out of the cling film and fry. Cook for a few minutes until browned on the underside and once golden brown flip over to cook the other side. Drain on kitchen paper. Eat immediately, they go all flabby and greasy when cold.

Video

Notes

These can be baked in a 200C oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown if you don't want to deep fry. They won't be as crispy but they'll be oniony and tasty (would make a great side for a roast dinner with a dash of dried sage mixed in). Alternatively you can fill a deep pan with oil and fry that way, but please take care.
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