MEAT-LOVERS BRUNCH

Perfectly cooked steak served at the table with an array of condiments and side dishes is one of the most decadent ways to brunch, but it does come with a price tag to match. Bring the idea into your own home, though, and the meal can be both affordable and achievable, as well as earning you serious kudos from your guests.

To serve a steak dinner with aplomb for six or more people, abandon the idea of searing individual steaks to order. Instead, buy a large cut of meat – a rib-eye or sirloin roast – and cook it whole. Leave the meat to rest properly, so that all the juices are reabsorbed, and slice it just before serving. The end pieces will suit those who prefer their meat at the medium-well end of the spectrum and the cut will become rarer and rarer towards the middle.

With this sort of meal, quality trumps quantity every time. A couple of slices of steak per person is really all you need, provided you go big with the accompaniments. Call them fries, frites or chips, there is something about this combination that just works. Forget about peeling mounds of potatoes and frying them to order, though. Instead, you can take frozen oven chips in an entirely gourmet direction by way of a sprinkling of Parmesan, a scattering of herbs and a drizzle of truffle oil.

Serve your steak and posh chips with condiments and sauces galore – think ketchup, mayo and mustard, herby homemade salsa, pickled mushrooms from the deli and a quick sauce made from combining blue cheese with sour cream. Do all that and your lucky guests will think that they’re eating at the homeliest steakhouse in town.