Beef fillet

For a steak about 2.5 cm thick, pat it dry and sear it in a very hot, lightly oiled pan for about 2–3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Rest it for 5 minutes before serving.

The Food Standards Agency says whole cuts of beef can be served rare if the outside has been thoroughly cooked, as bacteria are usually on the surface. Don’t serve it rare if it has been mechanically tenderised or pierced.

Keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge at 5°C or colder, and use it by the use-by date. You can freeze it before that date; defrost it in the fridge before cooking.

Fillet is the classic centrepiece for Beef Wellington, and it’s also used for steak Diane. For a steak, serve it with chips, watercress and peppercorn sauce.

Yes, sirloin works well for pan-fried steak and has more marbling and a beefier flavour. It’s less tender, so slice it across the grain when serving.

Yes: beef fillet has 3.7 g of fat per 100 g, compared with 14.5 g in beef sirloin.

Its tender, fairly even shape makes it suitable for wrapping in mushroom duxelles and pastry. Sear the fillet first, then let it cool before wrapping so the pastry is less likely to turn soggy.