Newsham Life - Kitchen Garden Cooking

In part one of Where Great Steak Begins, we headed into Thirsk to visit Frank Family Butchers and talk about the importance of starting with really good beef.

For part two, we’re back at Newsham. More specifically, outside in the Peckish kitchen garden with James, a hot pan and the steak we brought home.

It’s probably one of our favourite places to cook. The kitchen garden isn’t a polished outdoor kitchen, and that’s rather the point. There are vegetables growing a few feet away, the dogs wandering around to see what’s happening and, every now and then, a tractor passing by. On a summer’s day, there aren’t many better places to be.

And there aren’t many better ways to cook a good steak either.

James keeps things simple. A properly hot pan, butter, garlic and herbs, giving the beef time to develop a good crust before basting it and letting those flavours do their work.

There is one rather good addition. James recently visited the team at Shepherds Purse, the family cheesemakers (and our neighbours!) here in Yorkshire, where their Bluemin White caught his attention. Rich, creamy and slightly nutty, it has a wonderful melt-in-the-mouth texture that gave James an idea for the bavette.

A generous piece goes on top while the steak is still warm, softening into the beef and adding just enough richness. You’ll spot it making an appearance in the film.

No complicated techniques or unnecessary ingredients. When you’ve started with a great piece of meat, you really don’t need them.

That thinking runs through much of what we do at Peckish. Knowing where ingredients have come from, buying well and then cooking in a way that lets them be the star of the plate.

Watch Part Two of Where Great Steak Begins to join James in the garden.

And if watching it has given you a craving for steak, there’s always Steak Night at Newsham…