Kevin He - Farm 88 T-Bone Steak - with a Garlic and Herb Baste

A thick T-bone seared hard in a hot pan, then basted with foaming butter, smashed garlic and rosemary until the herbs perfume the kitchen. Rested before slicing so the juices settle. A steakhouse method, executed at home, no shortcuts on the resting time.

The room-temperature start is the foundational step. Pull the steak from the fridge thirty to forty-five minutes before cooking; a cold steak goes in cold and produces an uneven cook (a grey band of overdone meat around a cool, almost raw centre). At room temperature the heat penetrates evenly and the cook stays uniform from edge to centre.

The baste-with-butter technique (the French arroser) is the classical French method for flavouring the meat with aromatics during the cook. After the initial hard sear in oil, knock the heat down to medium, add butter, smashed garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs; tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the steak constantly for the last few minutes. The herbs perfume the butter, the butter bastes the meat.

The rest is non-negotiable. Five to ten minutes for a thick T-bone, loosely covered with foil on a warm plate. Cutting too soon spills the juices onto the board; rest properly and the juices reabsorb into the meat. Slice across the grain on the diagonal for the most tender bite. Maldon salt over the top, a few extra rosemary needles, a glass of Aussie shiraz alongside.