TRUE OR FALSE?

STEAK IS BEST SERVED RARE

BARNEY SAYS: ‘There’s no doubt that cooking a steak until it’s dry and tough isn’t the best way to serve it, but it’s not true that one degree of ‘doneness’ fits all. You should cook different cuts of beef in different ways. A lean fillet cut should be kept rare as it doesn’t have any fat to keep it juicy, or any bits of muscle tissue that need to be cooked (this is why it can be served raw as carpaccio). If you have a cut with fat and sinew running through, such as ribeye or côte de boeuf (rib on the bone), or even sirloin with its thick strip of buttery fat, it’s better to cook it until medium-rare, to allow the fat to render down properly. Otherwise, you could have uncooked fat or chewy bits of muscle tissue. So, the next time you’re asked how you like your steak, make sure you know what cut it is first.’ Barney Desmazery, skills & shows editor