The best way to cook a steak is by direct heat; either pan-fry or grill-pan. Non-stick is the enemy of meat; cast iron its friend. Always bring the steak to room temperature before cooking. Oil the meat and not the pan; just rub a little oil over the surface and season with freshly ground black pepper. Salt the pan and not the meat; throw a pinch of flaked sea salt into the pan before the meat. Make sure the pan is searingly hot; holding a hand flat above the surface is the best gauge. Don't overcrowd the pan; give the steaks a good few inches room. Cook separately if need be. Apart from turning; leave it alone.

Although times can vary according to thickness, the following is a fairly accurate gauge for an average 1-inch thick steak;

Blue steak – 1 minute on each side
Rare steak – 1.5 minutes on each side
Medium rare steak – 2 minutes on each side
Well done steak – 2.5 minutes each side

A well-done steak should still be moist; never dry and overcooked. Respect the meat. And other people's teeth. After cooking, a steak needs its rest; let it sit for at least five minutes before serving and you won't need a steak knife.

In fact, you should never need a steak knife; they were invented to disguise mediocre, badly cooked steak. The final path to steak mastery is the ability to judge it by hand. With a bit of practice you can tell exactly how well done it is by prodding it knowingly.

To help you on the path to enlightenment, here's how the pros learn; the thumb test. Hold your hand in front of you and let it go floppy; prod the pad of your thumb. That's what rare steak feels like. Now, flatten your hand as if to wave; that slightly firmer thumb pad? That's how far you take a medium steak. Finally, hyperextend all of your digits so they stretch back towards you. That solid thumb pad. Yep; well-done steak. Use it. You may look daft but it is a great learning tool if you aren't sure and practically every chef in the business learned that way.