How to Cook the Perfect Rump Steak

Just before cooking, pat the rump steak dry with kitchen paper and season on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan or ridged griddle pan until hot. Rub both sides of the steak with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Put the steak in the hot pan. The meat should sizzle when it hits the surface, which will help it to form a flavourful browned crust. When a crust has formed, add a knob of butter to the pan and cook the steak, turning just once, on a high heat for the times listed. Baste the meat as it cooks.

Melt a knob of butter over the top, set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve.

Light the barbecue and gather your cooking accessories.

When the barbecue coals are covered in white ash, pat the rump steak dry, season on both sides with salt and pepper and rub the surface with oil. Lay the steak on the grill with the lid on (use an upturned roasting tray or disposable foil tray if your barbecue is not lidded).

Cook for the times listed. To prevent the outside of the meat from burning, stand by the barbecue as you cook with a pint of water to hand. If the flames flare up, dampen the heat by flicking water on the coals until the flames die down.

Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

LISTEN to Angela 

Listen to Angela Hartnett cook rump steak tagliata with asparagus & lentils for Nick Grimshaw and guest Dua Lipa on episode 10, season 5 of Dish, the Waitrose podcast. 

WATCH Charmaine

Charmaine Katz, chef tutor at Waitrose Cookery School, shows how to pan-fry a perfect medium-rare steak.

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Before cooking, let the meat come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Pat it dry with kitchen paper.

The best way to make sure the steak is cooked the way you like it is to use a probe thermometer: rare will read 48ºC, medium-rare 52ºC, medium 58ºC, medium-well 62ºC and well-done 68ºC.

To help the steak cook evenly, baste it with melted butter as it cooks – or use melted beef fat for added flavour.

After cooking, let your steak rest on a wire cooling rack over a tray in a warm place for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size). Resting allows the meat to relax and retains the flavourful juices.

Finish with a sprinkle of salt and melt over a knob of butter.

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