Fillet

The fillet is a very tender steak muscle that comes from the lower middle of the back and forms part of the sirloin. The fillet muscle is so tender because it does the least work. It is also a very lean cut with little fat running through it, which means it doesn’t have quite so much flavour as other steak cuts.

Cooking Idea

Step 1: Take your meat out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking it. This is really important, as bringing it to room temperature will give you a much more even cook!

Step 2: Heat a large, dry wide-based pan until it’s ripping hot! While that heats up, rub your steaks with vegetable oil and season generously with salt on both sides. Then place your steak in the (very hot!) pan, and don’t touch or move it while it cooks. This will help it develop a lovely golden brown crust.

Top tip! Fillet steaks are usually thicker than sirloin or ribeye, so they take a little longer to finish cooking.

Step 3: Once your steak is golden brown, turn the temperature down so you keep cooking the steak without burning it. Turn the steak more regularly to prevent burning.

Top tip! Every steak will be slightly different in shape, size and texture, so cooking times will vary. If you notice one steak is a little thicker than the other, cook it for an extra 30 seconds in the pan on each side.

For rare, cook for 3-4 min max on each side.

For medium-rare, cook for 4-5 min on each side.

For medium, cook for 5-6 min on each side.

Step 5: Rest your meat! Resist digging in straight away, as resting improves the flavour and juiciness of your steak. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with tin foil and set aside somewhere warm for at least 5 minutes.