Serves 2
Always have it for two; a one-person steak means it will be cut too thin. It needs to be about 2in thick and it will weigh about a kilo. (Yeah!) The glory of this cut is that it is on the bone and meat always tastes better this way.
1 T-bone steak, about 900g (2lb)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sea-salt
1⁄2 tsp English mustard powder
50g (2oz) butter
250g (9oz) field or wild mushrooms
(I like chanterelles)
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Extra salt and pepper
Unwrap your beautiful piece of meat and let it come up to room temperature (at least 15°C). Rub the beef with oil, then pepper, salt and mustard powder and set it aside. Heat up a griddle pan (one of those ribbed ones that can be bought in any kitchen shop) until it smokes, then put the beef on for two minutes on each side. You want to get it really crunchy and golden. Put the beef in a roasting tray and pop it in
the oven for 12 minutes at 180°C/ 350°F/Gas Mark 4. Remove the beef and turn it over, placing it on a wooden board to rest.
In a heavy pan melt the butter and fry the mushrooms with the grated clove of garlic. When they are done, add the parsley and some seasoning.
Put the T-bone on a heroic platter, pile the mushrooms on the side, place a pot of fiery English mustard next to the meat and open a bottle of ’83 margaux. Proof positive that God is
an Englishman.