Ask the chefs at one of the world’s best steak restaurants what constitutes a great steak, and it’s all got to do with the cow’s origin.
Elevating the humble steak ultimately hinges on where the animal is farmed and how it’s treated, says head chef Dan Lockhart and kitchen manager Robbie Webber of upscale Fife Lane Kitchen & Bar in Mount Maunganui.
Added to that, the fat ratio, lush marbling (white flecked streaks of fat), and whether the beast has been raised on grain or grass are just as important as a nice thick cut and how it’s cooked.
Fife Lane is one of only three restaurants in New Zealand to gain a winning place in a worldwide competition ranking the world’s 101 best steak restaurants out of nearly 800 entrants.
Fife Lane came in at number 83, while Jervois Steak House in Auckland ranked 65 and Meat & Liquor in New Plymouth, 69.
Taking the top spot was Parrilla Don Julio in Buenos Aires.
New Zealanders have “a love affair with steak” and despite it having the possible reputation of an unadventurous menu choice (why have steak when you can have hapuka dressed in veloute? Or lamb ribs in sticky soy miso glaze?), Lockhart and Webber say it’s versatile, and if the quality and cooking are correct, the dark-crusted rosy meat speaks for itself.
The annual World’s Best 101 Steak Restaurants competition started in 2019 and is run by Upper Cut Media House in London.
It sees “steak ambassadors” from five continents with backgrounds in hospitality and/or cuisine media, visit entrants incognito before they rank the top 101 under seven criteria, which all hinge on quality.
Final rankings are then made by the ambassadors in conjunction with an executive team in London.
Lockhart says he and Webber had no way of knowing when one of the six steak ambassadors for the Asia Pacific region visited them, or what they ordered.
“It can be nerve-racking at the start of the service thinking is ‘tonight the night?’. We kept an eye on the booking names coming through to see if there were any hints but we never pinpointed it.”
Founder of the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants ranking Ekkehard Knobelspies says Fife Lane was actually visited three times over the past 12 months but he would not disclose what was ordered, other than saying they always test various steak cuts, side dishes, and entrees.
“What particularly convinced us was the fact that they work almost exclusively with the best pasture-raised beef from New Zealand. Local products and related sustainability are vital in our decision.”
Origin, breed, transport route, slaughtering age, rearing and diet, type of steak cuts on the menu, and the cooking method is all important.
When looking at steak on a plate Knobelspies advises “the thicker the better”, and a good steak cut needs fat not only as a “flavour carrier”, but to give the meat its unique texture.
In terms of marbling, it’s often an essential part of a good piece of meat, but there are also cuts without “spectacular marbling”, which are also convincing, he says, like grass-fed and pasture-raised cuts.
“In terms of taste, a steak cut should taste like the (country of origins) environment the cattle have been raised in. We call it terroir, like in the wine world.”
Knobelspies says New Zealand offers great habitat for cattle breeding and has an advantage over our neighbour Australia in that we don’t have to “fight big heat”, which isn’t beneficial to cattle or meat quality.
“The breed, diet and nutrition, ageing methods, and the cooking process make this product very special and unique and it never tastes the same. This is fantastic in our eyes and makes our job in creating this ranking so exciting.”
Fife Lane, which opened in 2019, is a first-time entrant in the competition and has its own bespoke glass locker of aged meats on display for diners, paying homage to traditional butcher shops of yesteryear.
Their meat menu features eight individual steak cuts, two sharing steaks (bigger steaks that can be shared), and a rotating guest cut.
From wagyu to rib eye, rump cap; eye fillet and sirloin (both also offered on the bone), bavette, Angus, striploin, and venison, they range in weight from 180g to 600g with a variety of marbling. The point is to showcase the difference in flavour and texture between one cut and the next.
Coming from Canterbury, Te Anau, Hawke’s Bay, and Taranaki, each cut boasts names like Mountain River Venison and First Light Wagyu.
Some of the meat comes in pre-portioned from suppliers, but Lockhart also does portioning himself onsite.
Choosing your steak is like choosing from a drinks list with the cheapest being Savannah Angus pasture-fed eye fillet from Taranaki, 180g for $44, and the most expensive the Lake Ohau wagyu pasture-fed rump cap from Te Anau, MBS 5 (this refers to its marble beef score), 300g for $80.
There are also seven different sauces or butter to choose from, including green peppercorn, bearnaise, and horseradish creme fraiche; alongside side dishes.
Cooking is done in their signature Spanish Mibrasa closed barbecue oven, one of only two in New Zealand, again giving them an edge.
Lockhart and Webber use coconut shell 100 per cent charcoal briquettes, called Hot Nuts, which produce a steady heat and long burn. Using fire and its embers, the Mibrasa gives a distinctive charcoal grill aroma and flavour.
Lockhart’s favourite steak is the scotch filet, cooked medium rare. “It’s a little bit fatty so the flavour melts through,” he says, adding he likes it with garlic potatoes, mushroom sauce, and fresh horseradish.
When it comes to who is ordering what, more men order steak but only “marginally”, and they do offer vegetarian and vegan options for those who aren’t steak fanatics.
But for those who are meat lovers, a straight-down-the-line steak is a holy grail, and if you’re going to splurge, these guys nail it.
Ten tips on how to cook the perfect steak at home
1. Buy good meat
The best place to purchase steak is from your local butcher.
2. Consider going big
Fife Lane’s steaks start at 180g but you can go up to 300g-plus. A thick steak will also give you a good char on the outside while keeping the meat juicy and tender inside.
3. Take the meat out of the fridge
One to two hours out of the fridge will bring it up to room temperature.
4. Fire up your bbq or if it’s raining, a heavy cast-iron griddle pan
If you’re using a barbecue, try lump wood charcoal from sustainable sources, and use eco-friendly firelighters to avoid any fuel tainting the flavour.
5. Raise the heat
You want white-hot coals on the barbecue, which will take up to an hour from the lighting. A grill pan needs 5 minutes over high heat.
6. If your steak is wet, dry it
Dry it or it will struggle to form a decent crust. At the last minute, season the meat generously with salt, by moving the steak around so every surface is coated. Don’t use pepper as it will just burn off. If you have a tougher cut and want to help break it down, try soy sauce, garlic, or lemon juice (acid helps soften it).
7. Don’t use oil. If the grill is hot enough the meat won’t stick
Oil tends to add a hint of flavour that doesn’t sit well with good beef. If you do use some, use a tiny bit with a high burn point.
8. Stick the steak on, leave it for a couple of moments to start building up a crust, then flip
Turn every couple of minutes until it’s the way you like it, and don’t forget to sear the edges. If there is a thick layer of fat on your steak, hold it up vertically to brown the fat.
9. Check if your steak is cooked
Gently prod it with your clean index finger or tongs. A rare steak will feel soft and squishy; medium rare is soft but slightly springy; medium steak will be springy and if the steak feels firmer than that, it’s on its way to being well done.
10. Rest your meat
Put the steak on a warm plate and leave it to leave to rest for at least five minutes (a really thick steak will be better after 10 minutes). Serve on hot plates.