Guide to Cooking the Perfect Eye Fillet Steak
The Eye Fillet is the most tender cut of beef; some even call it the Emperor of Steaks. When cooked to perfection, this luxurious cut will satisfy the most discerning palate. You can buy a whole Eye Fillet as a delicious option for entertaining. Alternatively, our 2 x 200g steaks or 600gm fillets are great options for 2 to 3 people.
Whether you want to impress or you are just looking for a fantastic iron-rich addition to the family plate, choosing your Eye Fillet should start with the best quality cuts. In order to maximise both flavour and tenderness, you should be looking for 100% grass-fed beef fillets that have been aged on the bone for 21 days.
Here, we have put together some general cooking tips and a recipe that will feed 3-4 people. Read on to explore some mouthwatering ways to prepare and cook your Eye Fillet beef. Browse the best whole Eye Fillet or steaks online at Matangi now for a delivery right to your door.
General Tips for Cooking Eye Fillet Steak
When you buy the best cuts of meat, you should treat them with the finest ingredients to ensure outstanding results on the plate. This means choosing a fabulous clarified butter, fine olive oil, and great salt so you can season your beef to perfection.
Basic Preparation and Cooking Instructions
You should always return your beef cuts to room temperature before you cook them. You can do this by removing them from the chiller an hour or so before cooking.
200 gm Eye Fillet Steak
Season with salt and baste with olive oil or clarified butter. Heat your skillet or grill until hot, and add the beef fillet. You can also sous vide your Eye Fillet steaks if preferable. You should turn the steak so that both sides are well-seared. Use a meat thermometer to check that the beef has reached 45-50 degrees Celsius, then remove and cover loosely with foil to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
2 kg Whole Eye Fillet
Set your oven to bake at 240 degrees Celsius. If possible, salt the beef eye fillet the day before. For a whole Eye Fillet of this size, baste with your chosen butter or oil after folding the tail underneath and securing it with butcher’s twine. Pop it in the oven and check it after 30 minutes. You want the meat thermometer to read 45-50 degrees Celsius. When you are satisfied, remove the eye fillet to rest, loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes before serving.
Char & Charm Classic BBQ Eye Fillet
This recipe leans heavily on Worcestershire Sauce, which has been a staple on the English dinner table since the 1800s. This rich, tangy sauce is a perfect accompaniment to beef, with ingredients like distilled vinegar, water, molasses, anchovy, celery seed and tamarind extract.
Ingredients
- 2 heaped teaspoons Colmans English Mustard
- ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Handful of fresh chopped English Thyme (flowering if possible)
- 3 tsp cold Unsalted Butter
- 2 x Bunches Asparagus
- 2 tsp French Mustard
- 2 tsp Butter
- Fresh Mint
- Salt
- Cracked Pepper
Beef
The night before, add your eye fillet and all the top ingredients to a zip lock bag - reserve some Thyme to garnish. Massage the beef in the bag, then pop in the chiller until about an hour before cooking. Bring to room temperature and massage again.
Preheat your BBQ or skillet to very hot. When it’s sizzling, whip the fillet out of the bag, pat it quickly with paper towels, roll it in olive oil, and place it on the grill.
Turn every minute or so, and use your chilled butter to rub the beef before each turn. Do this for 8-9 minutes, then remove it to low heat, turning again for about 4-5 minutes.
When ready, remove the Eye Fillet and cover it loosely; if using a skillet, retain the juices in the pan - you can quickly heat these when you are ready to serve and drizzle them over the sliced Eye Fillet. If you are barbecuing, just drizzle with Worcestershire & Olive Oil before serving, and garnish with the reserved Thyme.
Asparagus
Set a large pot to boil with salted water for your asparagus. Trim the stems and add the spears to the boiling water until the water boils again—just a few minutes. Drain, add the butter and French Mustard to the pot, and swish around until covered. Serve on a platter with chopped fresh mint, salt, and oodles of cracked pepper.
Sides
This dish goes well with all sorts of sides; add a rice pilaf, braise some carrots in the pan with the beef, or make some crispy rosemary potatoes and a rocket and cheddar salad.
Shop the Best Eye Fillet
The key to cooking the perfect Eye Fillet Steak is to start with the best beef. At Matangi, our beef is bred for connoisseurs right here in New Zealand. Our Angus cattle are raised on nutritious soil, lush grass, and clean spring water, and we age all our beef on the bone for 21 days.
Our Eye Fillet steaks won gold at the Outstanding Food Producer Award for 2024, and you can shop our Eye Fillet selection online here to impress your guests or treat your family to the very best.