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Our culinary team is often asked for tips on the best way to prepare a pan seared steak. Denise Spencer-Walker shares her thoughts on the best way to pan sear our grass fed beef.

 

1. Your steak should be at room temperature before you cook it. No matter which cut of beef you are pan searing, tenderloin, hanger steak, rib-eye, rump steak and sirloin are some of my favorites to pan sear, the steak should be at room temperature before cooking and I recommended you pat the surface of the steak to dry it before cooking as this will help to form a good crust during cooking.

 

2. Make sure that you heat the pan before using. Whether using a heavy-duty thick frying pan, a heavy griddle pan or a cast iron skillet, your pan should very hot before cooking the steaks, and the pan should be roomy enough to avoid overcrowding the steak.

 

3. Coat both sides of the steak with some sort of oil or fat. I suggest that you coat both sides of the steaks with a mild oil, such as canola, and once the steak is searing you can add butter to the pan along with garlic cloves or fresh herbs for extra flavor.

 

4. Season your beef before adding it to the pan. You should season the steak with a little salt up to two hours before cooking and then add pepper just before cooking. Contrary to popular belief, seasoning a steak with salt ahead of time doesn’t draw out the moisture; it actually gives the steak time to absorb the salt and the meat becomes more evenly seasoned throughout.

 

5. Cook your steak for the same amount of time on each side. To build up an even crust on both sides, you will want to cook the meat for the same amount of time on each side and I recommend only flipping the steak once.

 

6. Let the meat rest once finished cooking. Your cooked steak should rest at room temperature on a warm plate ideally for around half of the steak’s total cooking time with a minimum of five minutes resting time. Any resting juices should be poured over the steak or into the accompanying sauce before serving.

 

Please be sure to share photos of your pan seared beef and tag us at @meattheukexporters

The UK’s red meat exports valued at $2.09B despite COVID-19 shocks and increases in domestic demand.

 

During an unprecedented and challenging year for exports the UK has shipped 660,000 tonnes of beef, pork and sheep meat around the world – down just 3,777 tonnes in 2019’s record year, with the overall value increasing marginally.

 

According to the latest data from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, shipments of pig meat, including offal, increased by almost 6% to 400,000 tonnes – worth $912MM compared to $849MM million in 2019.

 

Exports of beef and offal reduced slightly from 184,000 tonnes in 2019 to 166,000 tonnes, worth $632MM to the sector. And while sheep meat and offal shipments dropped by seven per cent to 93,600 tonnes, the value rose by nine per cent from $569MM in 2019 to $623MM.

 

The latest figures are a testament to the UK and its red meat exporters in overcoming the many challenges of 2020.

 

When you consider the difficult trading year, we have had with the run-up to Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, these full-year results are incredibly strong – with our pork exports even increasing in value by 7%.

 

We have also seen an increase in domestic demand for red meat, which has slightly impacted the volumes available for exporting, including to the United States for the first time in over 24 years.  We are happy to say that with all of this in mind, 2020 has delivered some encouraging and positive results for our red meat exports.

 

Everyone understands the importance of a healthy diet and January is synonymous with renewed efforts to change our lives and ourselves for the better – New Year, New You. While a small number believe that means cutting out meat altogether, the majority understand and appreciate the important role red meat plays in a healthy balanced diet. It contains vitamins and essential nutrients that cannot be found anywhere else. Therefore, when the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently recognised the role of lean beef in a healthy diet as part of its 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the feelings of positivity extended across the pond to the UK’s red meat industry.

 

The US represents a hugely important potential market for UK beef exports. After gaining market access just three months ago, we have already received positive feedback from those in the US who sampled our beef for the first time in more than 20 years. But what is it that consumers like? British beef is famous for its quality, which is the result of centuries of breeding, experience and care during farming and processing. Added to this is extensive science and research. Our beef is lean – meeting the recommendations of the dietary guidelines produced in the US – and has a taste and texture which is appealing and favoured by Michelin starred chefs. Most cows are reared in the lush countryside and the typical British beef cattle herd’s diet is made up largely of grass. Over the years, grass-fed beef has grown in popularity, not least because of its low overall fat levels. Research from Ernst & Young shows that 50 per cent of consumers around the world now express a preference for grass-fed beef and 64 per cent said they would pay more for it. We know that consumers have become more discerning about where their food comes from and how it is produced – both in the UK and the US. And we can say with confidence that beef produced in the UK is among the most sustainable in the world, operating to some of the highest welfare and food safety standards.

 

All of this makes beef from the UK an appealing choice. We know that, as the world’s biggest producer and consumer, Americans love the taste of beef. Therefore, it is our ambition to see our product on the shelves of supermarkets and on menus of restaurants in the US – complementing the US offering American consumers choice for the months and years to come.

 

Susana Morris, AHDB Senior Export Manager