In no particular order, here are a few things dads don't want for Father's Day:
Flowers
Cake
A soppy card
A jokey card
Lunch at a child-friendly restaurant
Cuff-links
A tie
New tools he'll never use and which are, actually, just an unsubtle hint to put some shelves up
A cardigan
And this is what dads DO want for Father's Day:
And a homemade card, featuring Dad as a stick man with a gigantic lollipop head and a massive mouth, into which he is forking steak.
What? Your man wants a bunch of tiger lilies and a vegetarian lasagne at Kiddies' Express? Fair enough. Can I have his steak?
OK, I might be alone in this (I'm not) but there is no better treat than a thick, juicy hunk of beef to mark this most special of special occasions on June 15.
And there is no more eventful piece of beef than the T-Bone steak – a cut that offers the best of both worlds, with a tender, soft fillet on one side, and a flavourful, toothsome sirloin on the other. Meat me in Heaven!
Ideally, it should be sourced from a good butcher; ideally, it should have been dry-aged for at least 21 days (although 35 days takes its blue cheesy muskiness to a whole new level – like a wet dog lying next to a radiator); and ideally, it should be from a glorious breed such as Aberdeen Angus, Dexter or Longhorn.
And then cook it to perfect doneness by following these guidelines.
HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT T-BONE STEAK
1. Ensure the steak is at room temperature. (Remove from the fridge at least 2 hours before cooking.)
2. Get your grill or pan smoking hot.
3. Rub sunflower or vegetable oil into the steak and season with salt.
4. Stick your steak on! Leave for a couple of mins to get a good colour, then turn. Keep turning regularly to prevent burning.
Cook for a 400g steak:
Medium Rare 6-8 minutes
Medium 8-10 minutes
Medium Well 10-12 minutes
5. Rest on a warm plate for 5-10 minutes.
6. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
I served this – for my own dad - with skinny fries, Parmesan-glazed mushrooms and this delicious Umami-laden Chop House Butter from Mark Hix's cookbook, Hix.
For the butter
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil
100ml red wine
½ tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
½ tbsp freshly grated horseradish
250g butter, softened
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp brown sauce
1 tbsp English mustard
1 tsp Gentleman's Relish
2 tbsp chopped parsley
½ tbsp chopped tarragon.
1. Gently cook the red onions, garlic and pepper in the rapeseed oil for 2-3 minutes then remove from the heat and mix well with all of the other ingredients.
2. Roll in clingfilm or greaseproof in a 3 cm diameter cylinder and store in the fridge or freezer until required then just slice it as you need it and serve directly onto your steak or cut off as much as you need and slice it before serving.