How to cook perfect steak, Victor Churchill, Woollahra

How To Cook Perefect Steak Being a meat lover, one of the things I love about Sydney is that just about every suburb in this city has a local butcher that offers a delicious range of poultry, beef, lamb and pork.

Our love affair with the weekend barbeque will not be the same without our friendly neighbourhood butcher that seems to remember our favourite meat recipes and offer all kinds of suggestions for our cooking pot.

But then again, there are butchers and there is Victor Churchill.

Established in 1876 on Queen street in Woollahra, this original premises was founded by James Churchill. His sons, Victor and Cyril Churchill took over the management of the business and in 1953 the business was sold to Jack Wallace who paid eight pounds a week in rent as Victor Churchill continued to work in the business until his retirement.

Jack Wallace’s nephew, Gary Stokes began his butcher apprenticeship with his uncle in 1957 at the age of fifteen. By the age of twenty six in 1968, Gary had become the third owner of Churchill’s and continued to run the business for forty years until 2008.

Victor and Anthony Puharich, the founders of Australia’s largest wholesaler of premium quality meats, Vic’s Premium Quality Meat have since become only the fourth owners of this butchery in its 133-year history.

Victor Churchill, Woollahra, Sydney

Victor Churchill, Woollahra, Sydney

If you are a meat lover, you will feel like a kid in a candy store when you walk into this store. The display cabinets showcase a whole array of terrines, sausages, meat pies and some of the choicest cuts of red meats that money can buy.

Be warned, the products in this place is expensive. Many of its beef cuts are hung up and dry-aged for up to three hundred days. This dry-aging process allows the meat to develop more intense flavours. One of the priciest, David Blackmore’s full blood wagyu with a maximum beef marble score of 9+, cost $200 per kilogram.

Browsing around this store conjures up some delectable images of what you can be cooking with. Even if you are not going to buy any meat, I can assure you that window shopping in this store is a wonderful experience.

Here are some drool-worthy cuts of meat that might tempt the staunchest of vegetarians…

Housemade duck and orange terrine $74.99/kg

Housemade duck and orange terrine $74.99/kg

Housemade Italian style pork sausages $31.99/kg

Housemade Italian style pork sausages $31.99/kg

Housemade pork Frankfurts $34.99/kg

Housemade pork Frankfurts $34.99/kg

Caramelized onion and Comte cheese $8.50

Caramelized onion and Comte cheese $8.50

300-day grain fed T-bone from Rangers Valley, NSW $59.00/kg

300-day grain fed T-bone from Rangers Valley, NSW $59.00/kg

Veal Osso Bucco from Casino, NSW $24.99/kg

Veal Osso Bucco from Casino, NSW $24.99/kg

300-day grain fed aged scotch fillet from Rangers Valley, NSW $55.99/kg

300-day grain fed aged scotch fillet from Rangers Valley, NSW $55.99/kg

300-day grain fed dry aged sirloin from Rangers Valley, NSW $69.99/kg

300-day grain fed dry aged sirloin from Rangers Valley, NSW $69.99/kg

David Blackmore full blood wagyu sirloin (Beef Marble Score: 9+) $199.99/kg

David Blackmore full blood wagyu sirloin (Beef Marble Score: 9+) $199.99/kg

David Blackmore full blood wagyu rump (Beef Marble Score: 9+) $84.99/kg

David Blackmore full blood wagyu rump (Beef Marble Score: 9+) $84.99/kg

Pasture fed dry aged rib-eye $54.99/kg

Pasture fed dry aged rib-eye $54.99/kg

Pasture fed dry aged rib-eye $54.99/kg

Pasture fed dry aged rib-eye $54.99/kg

300-day grain fed beef cheeks from Rangers Valley, NSW $31.99/kg

300-day grain fed beef cheeks from Rangers Valley, NSW $31.99/kg

Pasture fed aged T-bone $38.99/kg

Pasture fed aged T-bone $38.99/kg

Titania Chestnut pasture fed sirloin on the bone $55.99/kg

Titania Chestnut pasture fed sirloin on the bone $55.99/kg

Lamb backstraps $65.99

Lamb backstraps $65.99

Pork belly 19.99/kg

Pork belly 19.99/kg

Butterflied spatchcock with a dry spice rub of coriander, fennel seed and oregano $28.99/kg

Butterflied spatchcock with a dry spice rub of coriander, fennel seed and oregano $28.99/kg

Lamb loin with olive tapanade and herbs of Provence $55.99/kg

Lamb loin with olive tapanade and herbs of Provence $55.99/kg

Housemade pork, chicken and mushroom terrine $72.99

Housemade pork, chicken and mushroom terrine $72.99

Cauliflower truffle soup $11.99 each

Cauliflower truffle soup $11.99 each

Cooking stock

Cooking stock

Roast chicken

Roast chicken

Wagyu biltong $123.99

Wagyu biltong $123.99

Sauces and pastes

Sauces and pastes

Victor Churchill, Woollahra, Sydney

Victor Churchill, Woollahra, Sydney

Dry aged meats in the cool room

Dry aged meats in the cool room

French-boned lamb shanks

French-boned lamb shanks

Rib eye steaks on the bone cut to order

Rib eye steaks on the bone cut to order

Victor Churchill, Woollahra, Sydney

Victor Churchill, Woollahra, SydneyT

The store also conducts cooking classes and demostrates how fresh meat is prepared for the dinner table.

You can even download an online app for your iPhone called Ask the Butcher that would turn you into a meat expert over night. A butcher in your pocket 24/7!!

Anthony Puharich of Vic's Meats

Anthony Puharich of Vic's Meats

Victor Churchill
132 Queen street, Woollahra
New South Wales

Tel: + 61 2  9328 0402

Opening hours: Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm, Saturday 8am – 6pm Sunday 9am – 5pm

Victor Churchill on Urbanspoon

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How to cook perfect steak at home

Grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

Grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

Cooking a good steak is not difficult at all. I find that a beautiful piece of beef steak is as much a joy to cook as it is to eat.

As much as I have read the techniques used by different chefs to try and dish out a “perfect” steak, I prefer to stick to some basic ones which I am comfortable with.

Grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley $55.99/kg

Grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley $55.99/kg

We decide to try a few choice cut from Victor Churchill and these steaks turned out to be spectacular in terms of an intense, beefy flavour.

Grass fed versus grain fed? Many meat lovers say that grass fed has more flavour intensity in the meat although grain fed is more tender depending on the type of cut.

Searing a grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

Searing a grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

Here are some simple steps which I follow to ensure a perfect steak every time.

For this particular rib-eye, I started by standing the steak on its edge to caramelize the layer of fat at the bottom.

My steaks turn out beautifully every time I follow these simple cooking steps.

Searing a grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

Searing a grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

I used very little oil to cook this particular grass fed rib-eye steak since it has a healthy level of fat content.

Beautifully cooked: Grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

Beautifully cooked: Grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

This awesome piece of rib-eye only needed a few pinches of salt while it was in the pan and a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper while it is resting in a hot dinner plate after cooking.

Beautifully cooked: Grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

Beautifully cooked: Grass fed rib-eye from Rangers Valley

Resting the steak for five minutes after cooking allows the muscle fibres of the meat to relax, resulting in a more tender and succulent texture.

Medium rare - beautifully cooked on the inside everytime

Medium rare - beautifully cooked on the inside every time

The flavour of this rib-eye is intense, especially the fat which has been nicely seared and caramelized.

For the best cuts of meats, all that is needed is a good pinch of salt when the steak is cooking and some freshly crack black pepper while it’s resting.

My favourite accompaniment is a big dallop of French Dijon mustard on the side. Serve this with a fresh salad and a glass of your favourite wine, this particular piece of rib eye is truly one of the best I have ever tasted.

At $55/kg, this $20 piece of rib eye would cost three times the price at a good steak restaurant.

So dear readers, are you a meat lover and if so, what is your favourite meat and how would you cook it?

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11 Responses to How to cook perfect steak, Victor Churchill, Woollahra

  1. You nailed that piece of steak – medium rare at it’s best! Can you believe I knew about that finger to thumb rule by watching Huey’s Cooking Adventures? haha

  2. Winston says:

    Dude I looooooooove cooking steak so much it’s one of my favourite things to cook at home. Hands down. Makes for such a great, quick, delicious weeknight meal too. And that butcher looks sensational, never seen one like it! Premium at its best, seriously. Now THAT’S quality. There really is nothing better than a good quality steak that’s been cooked to perfection, like you have there. Nice!

  3. Juliana says:

    Oh! I am a big meat eater, therefore I was like wow, wow and wow at every picture of the different cuts…and yes, this steak is cooked to perfection!
    Have a great week ahead 😀

  4. Love a good steak. And there’s plenty of impressive marbling to be had here!

  5. What a sensational looking steak! I have never been to Victor Churchill, and it is plain to see that I need to make a little journey out to Woolahra very soon. I will be sure to follow your instructions when I select a beautiful steak.

  6. I use Heston’s method and Victor Churchill’s steaks and the steaks always turn out so juicy and caramelised on the outside. They’ve got such a good range there.

  7. Ribeye is my favorite and I use the same sear/finish in the oven technique as you do. Thanks for the “fingertip” chart — I always give them a poke, but wasn’t sure how to tell exact doneness. Very helpful! The marbling on that Wagyu beef looks incredible and I liked their idea for stuffing pork with tapenade, too. Another fun adventure through your lens and writing!

  8. msihua says:

    Oh how the Boy would love this!

  9. Row says:

    Words/phrases I muttered while scrolling through this post: wow, oh my goodness, oh man, that looks so good. I wouldn’t be able to just window shop in this store. Instead, I would walk out with a lighter wallet and a big smile on my face. 😀

    My favourite cut of meat is rib-eye, cooked to medium-rare with just a bit of salt and pepper. You did a wonderful job on this steak… thank you for the tips! :)

  10. That is a perfectly cooked steak. What time is dinner?

    I’d love to take a meat class at that shop – how cool. :)

  11. celia says:

    I can’t believe that photo of the store – it looks like an expensive jewellery store from outside! Beautiful looking meat though! :)

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