How to Cook the Perfect Rump Steak

The perfect rump steak

Rump steak is such an easy yet delicious cut. Fast to cook and easy to ‘dress up’ with just a drizzle of your favourite dressing or a quick pan sauce.

Remove the steaks from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature at least an hour before you begin.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place a heavy-based frying pan or griddle pan over a high heat and add a splash of vegetable or groundnut oil. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and sprinkle both sides generously with flaky sea salt.

When the pan is very hot, with the oil almost at smoking point, add the steak and cook for 3 minutes on each side, then transfer to a baking tray and finish in a hot oven for 10–15 minutes. Of course you can finish cooking your rump steak in the pan – give a 5cm piece of meat five minutes on each side for medium rare – but you’ll get a more even and tender result by using the oven.

Resting is the final, crucial step for perfection. Give it ten minutes. Which is plenty of time to set the table, open a bottle and make a quick pan sauce. Purists might baulk at the prospect of anything that distracts from the rump’s own deliciousness but sometimes it’s fun to gild the lily. Finely chop a shallot and a couple of cloves of garlic and soften them over a medium heat in the pan you used to sear the steak (tip out any excess fat but don’t wipe it). Add a slug of wine, brandy or stock to deglaze, some herbs if you like, bubble down until syrupy then swirl in a knob of butter and/or a dash of cream.

Once the steak is rested, slice and serve with a drizzle of sauce.