I Tried Gordon Ramsay's Secrets To The Best Steak, And I'm Never Going Back

As a long-time fan of Gordon Ramsay, let it be known that I write this with due trepidation. 

The multiple Michelin star-awarded chef takes both steaks, and claims that us mere plebs have made his steaks, pretty seriously – he often posts TikTok reactions to recreations of his iconic recipes. 

All of which is to say, I know I have not quite reached the level Chef Ramsay achieved in his video detailing how to cook a perfect steak. 

I did not use the bone-in ribeye Gordon wielded like a mallet at the start of the clip, for instance.

I didn’t accompany my meagre meat with a fresh, fragrant chimichurri either (instead, it sat on some miso and leek butterbeans I’m not sure the chef would approve of).

But I did use the basic fundamentals the chef recommended, and I feel they led to, if not a Ramsay-level result, certainly one of the best steaks I’ve made.

What rules does Gordon follow?

The chef says it’s important to take your steak out of the fridge “at least 10-15 minutes” before you start cooking it. 

You should season it generously as it waits with more salt than you’d think, the expert added – after all, he explains, “we lose 30% of the seasoning, especially in the searing.”

It is crucial to get your pan “piping hot” for a couple of minutes before you turn down the gas and add the steak and some oil “for a beautiful sear” too, he continues. It’s the difference between “boiling a steak” and searing it.

Always lay the steak away from you so you don’t splutter hot oil all over your wrist. 

Because the steak is room temp, that lovely deep brown “caramelisation happens really fast.” 

Add garlic, rosemary, and fresh thyme and “be patient; don’t turn that steak until you need to turn it.” 

Once you’ve seared one side (this will take a different length of time according to your steak type and size), turn the gas up to heat the other, colder side faster; after all sides (including the back) are seared and re-seasoned, add butter. 

Doing this too early will make it “burn,” so make sure it’s a last-minute addition; baste your seared steak with it, then turn the gas right down and “let it beautifully caramelise” for a couple of minutes before switching the gas off.

Then, baste the steak with the butter every three minutes as it rests.

How did it taste? 

Again, please understand I know I didn’t get Gordon’s recipe perfectly – but that’s sort of the point. His advice was so helpful, I still ended up with a juicy, moreish, well-browned steak.

Perhaps the most useful lessons I took from his advice were bringing the steak to temperature before cooking it and bringing your pan to a singing heat before cooking starts. 

Additionally, while I’ve always been obsessive about letting meat rest adequately, Gordon’s advice – to both baste the steak as it rests, and to “roll it in its resting juices” before you serve it – really added that extra “wow” factor. 

I mean, what else did I expect from the legend?